The US has said Syria’s reactor was similar to a North Korean one

UN nuclear inspectors have arrived in Syria to investigate claims that it was building a nuclear reactor.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) four person team will spend three days examining the al-Kibar site in the desert in northern Syria.
The site was bombed by Israeli jets in September 2007. The ruins were bulldozed after the attack.

Israel and the US have said the installation was a nuclear plant in the making – a charge denied by Damascus.

Speaking on his departure, the deputy chief of the IAEA, Olli Heinonen – who is leading the team of inspectors – said they would meet their Syrian counterparts on Sunday evening.

After that, he said, they would start “looking for the facts”.

Syria has welcomed the inspection but insists that it will be limited to the al-Kibar site.

In April, Washington released pictures purporting to show North Korean experts inside the construction, which it said closely resembled a North Korean reactor at Yongbyon.

Syria has repeatedly denied it has any nuclear weapons programme, or any such agreement with North Korea.

Syrian officials have said the bombed site was an unused military facility under construction, but deny that it had anything to do with a nuclear programme.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has criticised both what he saw as a US delay in releasing information on the Syrian site and Israel’s bombing of the site before his agency could inspect it.

Ahead of the visit, Mr ElBaradei called on Syria to show “absolute transparency” and to give the inspectors access to all sites they wished to see.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya television, he said: “We have no evidence that Syria has the human resources that would allow it to carry out a large nuclear programme.

“We do not see Syria having nuclear fuel.”

10-27

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama apologized on Thursday to two Muslim women who were barred from sitting behind the podium where Obama was speaking because they were wearing Islamic headscarves.

The Muslim women asked by Senator Obama’s staffers not to appear behind the candidate at a Detroit rally.

At a campaign rally in Detroit on Monday, Shimaa Abdelfadeel and Hebba Aref were prevented by volunteers from taking seats behind Obama that would have been in view of television cameras, apparently because of their headscarves.

“I reached out to Ms. Aref and Ms. Abdelfadeel this afternoon,” Obama said in a statement. “I spoke with Ms. Abdelfadeel, and expressed my deepest apologies for the incident that occurred with volunteers at the event in Detroit.”

Obama said the volunteers’ actions were “unacceptable and in no way reflect any policy of my campaign.”

“I take deepest offense to and will continue to fight against discrimination against people of any religious group or background,” he said.
Obama said Abdelfadeel had accepted his apology and he hoped that Aref would as well.

The Detroit Free Press reported that Obama had left a phone message for Aref.

Obama, who is a Christian, has faced false rumors that he is a Muslim.

His personal apology followed an earlier apology made to the women by his campaign staff.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

By Nilofar Suhrawardy, MMNS

NEW DELHI – Opening a new chapter in India-Syria relations, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was here last week on a five-day state visit (June 17-21). It was his maiden trip to India and the first by a Syrian president during the past three decades. His father Hafez al-Assad had visited India in 1978. Assad’s visit assumes importance in context of Syria’s “Look East” policy and emerging rise of India as an important power on the global stage.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with the media in New Delhi June 19, 2008. Bashar is on a five-day state visit to India. REUTERS/B Mathur

Accompanied by his wife and a large delegation, including several ministers and senior officials, Assad arrived here on Tuesday evening. His official engagements began the next day with his being accorded a formal reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He was received at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Ahead of his talks with Indian leaders, Assad said: “We have a lot of things to talks about. There are a lot of expectations from a rising India. We expect to have cooperation on many different issues, fight terrorism and increase trade relations between Syria and India.”

While addressing a press conference on Thursday, Assad said that Syria is keen on India playing a “big role in the Middle East peace process because it has credibility.”  “India has good relations with both US and Israel and anyone who wants to play a role has to have that credibility. India has that credibility because of its traditional support for the Arab cause as well as good relations with Israel,” he said.

When asked about Syria’s relations with United States, Assad replied that his country was keen on good ties with Washington, “But that does not mean we have to be puppets.” “We look forward to good relations with US as its role for the peace process in the Middle East is very important. Unfortunately, this US administration is not interested in peace. We will have to wait for the next one,” he said.

Ruling out direct talks between him and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, on sidelines of an international summit to be held in Paris next month, Assad said: “This is not like drinking tea. The meeting between me and the Israeli prime minister will be meaningless without technocrats, who are experts, laying the foundation.” “Only sending signals with no real result is meaningless,” Assad told reporters.

Assad and Olmert will be in Paris for launch of a new Mediterranean Union to be announced by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on July 13. His comments on rejecting direct talks with Israel are in response to Israeli President Shimon Peres having called on Syria on last Sunday for direct talks. Peres cited the example of former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat having forged a peace deal with Israel.

Direct talks with Israel are unlikely before 2009, according to Assad, which are also dependent on fate of Olmert, who has to take care of calls for his resignation over a graft scandal. 

Syria and Israel recently announced launch of their indirect peace talks, with Turkey as the mediator, after an eight-year freeze. The two countries’ last round of negotiations on Golan Heights broke down in 2000. Israel seized the strategic plateau from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Israel annexed it in 1981, a move that is not recognized by the international community.

Indirect Syria-Israel talks and the Arab-brokered agreement in the Qatari capital Doha that led to election of former army chief Michel Sleiman as Lebanese president “were positive changes” in the region, Assad said.

“There is a glimmer of hope now. There are positive changes that make picture more positive,” Assad said. Nevertheless, he pointed out that if these developments were not backed with the right steps, the situation in the region could worsen again.

The ongoing conflicts in the region, including Palestine, Lebanon and the indirect talks between Syria and Israel, should be treated as one, Assad asserted. “All three should be negotiated together as one is related to the other and we are all interlinked,” he said.

On Iraq, Assad said that stability and peace of the country were as crucial as its “disintegration,” which could have a “domino effect” not just in the Middle East but all of Asia, he said.

“We are going to help in the peace initiatives. We can also help in Iraq. But it depends on Americans whether they want to see real and viable solutions to these problems,” Assad said.

Syria is now chair of six-member Arab League.

Stressing that Iran had the same right as any other country to peaceful use of nuclear technology, in keeping with international rules and laws, Assad urged direct talks between US and Iran.

The highlight of Assad’s visit was his one-to-one meeting with Singh as well as delegation level talks between the two countries (June 18). “The talks covered the entire gamut of bilateral and international relations with focus on trade and energy issues. The Middle East peace process also figured in the talks,” a spokesman for Indian foreign office said.

Inking of accords on mutual promotion and protection of investment, avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion, and improving cooperation in agriculture followed the talks.

At a luncheon meeting with Indian business community, Assad laid stress that the problem of food prices can be tackled only through global cooperation. “The challenges in energy and environment, rising food prices and health epidemics – globalization has shown us that no nation can afford to confront these without dialogue, cooperation and global partnership,” he said.

Laying stress on Syria’s willingness to seek help from India in the field of infrastructure development, Assad said: “I invite you to explore opportunities for joint ventures and other collaboration in major areas including infrastructure development, energy production, mineral processing, information technology education and training opportunities.”

Drawing attention to growth of Syrian economy to 6.6 percent in 2007 from one percent in 2000, Assad said: “Syria will continue to build on these successes in the coming years with further reform and strong partnerships,” he said.

Among the leaders who called on Assad were Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and leader of opposition L.K. Advani. President Patil hosted the official banquet in Assad’s honor at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Assad’s visit included a trip to Agra to see Taj Mahal and a daylong tour of Bangalore, where he visited the information technology establishments as well as the Indian Space Research Organization. His visit “further consolidated the excellent relations that exist between India and Syria and identified new areas of bilateral cooperation,” Indian sources said.

10-27

BERLIN (Reuters) – Up to 6,000 additional troops are urgently needed in Afghanistan and a failure to deploy them will only prolong the presence of Western forces in the country, a German NATO general said on Sunday.

Egon Ramms told public radio station Deutschlandfunk that alliance members would end up paying a price later if they did not boost troop numbers now.

“We are talking about a total of 5,000, 6,000 soldiers,” Ramms said. “We need these soldiers now, very soon, because we need to hold specific areas, we need to win over Afghanistan’s citizens and because at some point, in 2010, 2011 or 2012 we will want to hand over responsibility to Afghan forces.

Roughly 60,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan, most of them part of the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), but security has deteriorated over the past two years.

Some 6,000 people were killed in 2007, the deadliest year since U.S.-led and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in 2007.

“The troops that I don’t have now could lead to delays in the withdrawal of NATO and ISAF,” Ramms said. “In other words, the costs that are not being paid now will have a negative impact on the bottom line at some point.”

Ramms declined to say how many additional German troops he thought were necessary, but said Germany should increase the number of troops it can send to Afghanistan from a fixed ceiling of 3,500.

The parliamentary mandate for German troops operating in Afghanistan is due to expire in October and Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung is expected to request an increase of at least 1,000 in the troop limit.

(Writing by Noah Barkin)

10-27

By Elder George

Self-propagation and preservation comprise the activity of the universe. The societal grouping that enables this activity consists of the male, female and their offspring, and the larger societal structure of similar species. Extended family or tribe is the natural gathering together of humankind just as the herd, flock, troop, school, and pride are for the animal world. Patriarchy—the natural gender relationship of the species—provides the structure for these groupings.

All customs, practices, mores, and rites have to do with the propagation and preservation of the species. Males provide the environment and means for females to bring forth life and nurture it. Mating rituals and cultural practices provide for the selection of mates that will produce offspring most likely survive, grow, and evolve into protectors and nurturers of the next generation.

The patriarchal societal structure develops a sense of cooperation, responsibility, and consideration of all members. It provides feelings of togetherness and belongingness, which in turn gives people a sense of security. It develops proper social behavior and the courtesies that enable a smooth inter-relationship with the larger social order.

People become attuned to nature and the delicate interdependence of all life. They evolve spiritually as they develop a sense of something that exists behind which they see. They begin to understand that chance or accident does not occur in the universe and that behind all occurrences there lies a cause. They begin to worship the underlying principle of all life and realize that it provides all that they see and experience.

The tribal structure provides material and emotional security along with spiritual growth and understanding. The tribe or family represents the natural universal patriarchal structure, which has survived for millennia. Great empires have come and gone, famine and drought have ravaged the lands, but in the end patriarchy always survives.

A scourge that originated in Europe and has spread westward now encompasses the world. It has a grossly materialistic psyche that believes in self-glorification and self-indulgence. It has no understanding of the delicate balance of nature, nor of the unseen force behind it. It has created government to supplant the natural patriarchal order. Marriage has declined and divorce and adultery have increased. The State has removed all manly authority and incarcerates men at a phenomenal rate. Children are neglected and raised by the State, and the aged are removed from society. Women are breaking down mentally, physically and emotionally due to the unnatural environment in which they function. Depression, mental illness, and a national angst have become the norm as society degenerates and implodes.

These conditions have been forecast by prophets in all lands and are known as the end of times, Armageddon, or the end of the age. The scourge will self-destruct as does everything that functions out of harmony with creation. When its influence passes a new era of traditional values will return.

Family will once again become the focus of societal activity and the propagation and preservation of the species will become the paramount concern of people. The obeisance to matters material will cease and the ubiquitous and all intrusive government will be gone. An understanding of the one God will increase as the new age unfolds.  

Elder George’s website is www.mensaction.net and he can be reached at 212-874-7900 ext. 1329.

10-27

Courtesy Michael T. Klare, The Nation

As the pain induced by higher oil prices spreads to an ever growing share of the American (and world) population, pundits and politicians have been quick to blame assorted villains — greedy oil companies, heartless commodity speculators and OPEC. It’s true that each of these parties has contributed to and benefited from the steep run-up. But the sharp growth in petroleum costs is due far more to a combination of soaring international demand and slackening supply — compounded by the ruinous policies of the Bush Administration — than to the behavior of those other actors.

Most, if not all, the damage was avoidable. Shortly after taking office, George W. Bush undertook a sweeping review of US energy policy aimed at expanding the nation’s supply of vital fuels. The “reality is the nation has got a real problem when it comes to energy,” he declared on March 14, 2001. “We need more sources of energy.” At that time many of the problems evident today were already visible. Energy demand in mature industrial nations was continuing to grow as the rising economic dynamos of Asia, especially China, were beginning to make an impact. By 2002 the Energy Department was predicting that China would soon overtake Japan, becoming the world’s second-largest petroleum consumer, and that developing Asia as a whole would account for about one-fourth of global consumption by 2020. Also evident was an unmistakable slowdown in the growth of world production, the telltale sign of an imminent “peaking” in global output [see Klare, “Beyond the Age of Petroleum,” November 12, 2007].

With these trends in mind, many energy experts urged the White House to minimize future reliance on oil, emphasize conservation and rapidly develop climate-friendly alternatives, especially renewables like wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels. But Dick Cheney, who was overseeing the energy review, would have none of this. “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue,” the Vice President famously declared in April 2001, “but it is not a sufficient basis…for sound, comprehensive energy policy.” After three months of huddling in secret with top executives of leading US energy companies, he released a plan on May 17 that, in effect, called for preserving the existing energy system, with its heavy reliance on oil, coal and natural gas.

Because continued reliance on oil would mean increased reliance on imported petroleum, especially from the Middle East, Bush sought to deflect public concern by calling for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other protected areas. As a result, most public discourse on the Bush/Cheney plan focused on drilling in ANWR, and no attention was paid to the implications of increased dependence on imported oil — even though oil from ANWR, in the most optimistic scenario, would reduce US need for imports (now about 60 percent) by just 4 percent.

But this produced another dilemma for Bush: increased reliance on imports meant increased vulnerability to disruptions in delivery due to wars and political upheavals. To address this danger, the Administration began planning for stepped-up military involvement in major overseas oil zones, especially the Persian Gulf. This was evident, for example, when then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave early priority to enhancement of American “power projection” to areas of instability in the developing world. Then came 9/11 and the “war on terror” — giving the White House a perfect opportunity to accelerate the military expansion and to pursue other key objectives. High on the list was the elimination of Saddam Hussein, long considered the most potent challenger to US domination of the Gulf and its critical energy supplies.

But the invasion of Iraq — intended to ensure US control of the Gulf and a stable environment for the expanded production and export of its oil — has had exactly the opposite effect. Despite the many billions spent on oil infrastructure protection and the thousands of lives lost, production in Iraq is no higher today than it was before the invasion. Iraq has also become a rigorous training ground for extremists throughout the region, some of whom have now migrated to the oil kingdoms of the lower Gulf and begun attacking the facilities there — generating some of the recent spikes in prices.

Then there is the dilemma posed by Iran. With Saddam out of the picture, the Islamic regime in Tehran is viewed in Washington as the greatest threat to US mastery of the Gulf. This threat rests largely on Iran’s ability to attack oil shipping in the Gulf and ignite unrest among militant Shiite groups throughout the region, but its apparent pursuit of nuclear weapons has inflated the perceived menace significantly. To restrain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Washington has imposed economic sanctions on Iran and forced key US allies to abandon plans for developing new oilfields there. As a result Iran, with the world’s second-largest reserves after Saudi Arabia, is producing only about half the oil it could — another reason for the global constriction of supply.

But the Administration’s greatest contribution to the rising oil prices is its steady stream of threats to attack Iran if it does not back down on the nuclear issue. The Iranians have made it plain that they would retaliate by attempting to block the flow of Gulf oil and otherwise cause turmoil in the energy market. Most analysts assume, therefore, that an encounter will produce a global oil shortage and prices well over $200 per barrel. It is not surprising, then, that every threat by Bush/Cheney (or their counterparts in Israel) has triggered a sharp rise in prices. This is where speculators enter the picture. Believing that a US-Iranian clash is at least 50 percent likely, some investors are buying futures in oil at $140, $150 or more per barrel, thinking they’ll make a killing if there’s an attack and prices zoom over $200.

It follows, then, that while the hike in prices is due largely to ever increasing demand chasing insufficiently expanding supply, the Bush Administration’s energy policies have greatly intensified the problem. By seeking to preserve our oil-based energy system at any cost, and by adding to the “fear factor” in international speculation through its bungled invasion of Iraq and bellicose statements on Iran, it has made a bad problem much worse.

What can be done to reverse this predicament? There is no realistic hope of substantially increasing the supply of oil — drilling in offshore US waters, as favored by President Bush and Senator John McCain, will not reverse the long-term decline in US production — so it is only by reducing demand that fundamental market forces can be addressed. This is best done through a comprehensive program of energy conservation, expanding public transit and accelerating development of energy alternatives. It will take time for some of these efforts to have an impact on prices; others, like reducing speed limits and adding bus routes, would have a more rapid effect. And if this Administration truly wanted to spare Americans further pain at the pump, there is one thing it could do that would have an immediate effect: declare that military force is not an acceptable option in the struggle with Iran. Such a declaration would take the wind out of the sails of speculators and set the course for a drop in prices.

Michael T. Klare, Nation defense correspondent, is professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College. His latest book is Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy.

10-27

By Bob Wood, MMNS

I begin this week’s installment with some anecdotal observations I have made, which might well serve as useful lessons to our younger friends, perhaps your children. Observing the financial self-sufficiency – or lack thereof — of too many of today’s older people provides opportunities that allow the young to learn — while they still have time to make needed changes in their own financial habits.

On occasion, I stop at a local coin shop to diversify my personal savings with small amounts of gold or silver bullion. The shop also buys scrap gold and silver from anyone wishing to sell. With today’s price of these metals much higher these days, sellers have become frequent visitors to the shop.

What concerns me is how often these sellers are older people — senior citizens, in many cases. And I can’t help but wonder why they are selling small pieces of metal or silver sets that hold intrinsic value. I wonder if those small treasures are the last things of value they own — and if they are being sold to raise cash for daily living needs.

Recently, one older man showed me a set of two gold cigarette lighters in an elegant case. I assume that they were quite fancy for lighters. He said that, since so few people use lighters any more, selling them for what they might be worth seemed smart. When told that his lighters were only gold plated and worth $10 for both, he sold them anyway.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he really needed that $10, maybe to buy food or gasoline, or did he sell them just so his trip to the dealer wouldn’t be a wasted one? What about the others in the shop who were selling old jewelry? Were these the last things they owned that held any value and could be easily sold?

At their ages, I reasoned, they had most likely worked for many years. Yet those small items may represent much of what is left, much of what represents the net results of their life’s work.

Having been bearish on our economy for the past couple years, I have been looking recently at shares of pawn shops as possible investments. (And speaking of bearish, by the way, with the S&P 500 index now sitting just about where it was in October 2006, I am feeling a sense of vindication for being bearish on the domestic stock market throughout the ensuing period.) Yet a news story I read this past week points out that many small pawn shops are going out of business! With the economy in the dumps and many people struggling to pay for food and gas, I never imagined that pawn shops wouldn’t survive in an environment that seems tailor-made for them.

The problem, apparently, is that, while many people are going to pawn shops to borrow money against their tools, jewelry and hand guns, not enough buyers are looking for deals on items not claimed and bought back by their owners. And those original owners probably settled for prices equaling just a fraction of the true values of their possessions.

The striking part of this story is how many people are searching their homes for items of value, which can be pawned for quick cash. For many people in this country, believed to be the richest on earth, too few workers and retirees seem to have accumulated sufficient wealth to help them through hard times.

Imagine yourself among the scores of people rummaging around your home for anything of value to sell for needed cash. Where would you look, and what would you sell first? How does it feel when you think of yourself in those shoes, even if this is only as a mental exercise?

Have you seen or heard the reports, too, about the number of savers who are withdrawing money from retirement savings accounts at work, such as 401(k) plans? I’ve read that those taking premature hardship withdrawals now approach 25% of participants. What makes this especially sad, according to the last figures I saw on the amounts invested in those plans, is that the average saver over the age of 50 has about $60,000 put away for retirement. And part of that amount will be claimed by the government in the form of taxes when the owner initiates retirement withdrawal.

Even more disturbing are recent reports about the rising rate of bankruptcies among senior homeowners. That demographic has seen an increase in bankruptcy filings of more than 300% in recent months.

Can you imagine how that must feel? Can you envision going to your local court house, standing before a group of people you don’t know, and explaining to a judge that the end result of your life’s work amounts to a negative number? After working hard for 30 or 40 years, you have less than nothing to show for it?

I hazard a guess that virtually none of these people ever imagined ending up in such dire financial straits when approaching their ‘’golden years.’’ How many at age 25 or 30 ever imagines that their lives will end in poverty? No one dreams of the day they will move into a run-down mobile home park, yet millions of retirees do.

I feel safe in assuming that those now in dire financial situations would speak of their regrets for failing to plan ahead for later life. How much of what they earned should have been set aside in a savings account or their company-sponsored plan? How many wish they hadn’t chosen to live above their means, borrowing too much money to help pay for a bigger house than they could really afford or a big, shiny new car that made them feel good – as good as their neighbors and friends?

If I had children, I would talk with them about saving. First, I would take some time to congratulate myself for having lived through the experience of raising them, as should any of you who have them. Then I would sit down with them, look them right in the eye and make sure I had their attention.

Then I would explain the facts of financial life and what they should expect when they get older. I might take a page from those ‘’scared straight’’ programs for juvenile delinquents — where the young offenders are taken to a real jail and put in the same room with real inmates to get a first-hand look at what the future may hold for them if they don’t get the message in time.

I might take my children to one of the older, run-down mobile home parks and have them visit inside a couple of them, talking to those who live there and how they came to live in such demoralizing ways. Then I might take them to the local court house to watch a day’s worth of bankruptcy hearings to see how many others find themselves in bad shape financially. I would make sure my children understood that living within their means, saving money and staying healthy were their best options for attaining happiness, self respect and dignity when they become older and too tired to keep working.

For too many seniors today, financial insolvency is real – and, I must assume, painful. Surely, those who failed regret that they did not manage their finances prudently. I am sure all of them would love a second chance to go back and start over again, armed with the knowledge they came upon far too late in life.

But your kids have that second chance now. They can benefit greatly by seeing how too many others are faring today in this, the ‘’richest country on earth.’’
Teach your children about saving, budgeting and living within, rather than above, their means. They’ll likely roll their eyes, yawn or stubbornly tell you that they ‘’get it.’’ But you must make the effort. Many seniors now they wish that someone had sat them down and told them loudly about these important lessons — while there was still time to adjust their financial behavior.

The old song goes, ‘’Regrets, I’ve had a few,’’ and, hey, we all do. But don’t let “saving for that rainy day” be among them. Teach your children now, and know you’ve done your financial education job as a parent.

Have a great week.
Bob

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

Muslim man shot in Cleveland

Cleveland,OH–Police and FBI officials are investigating whether the shooting of a man at a Cleveland gas station was a hate crime.

The Cleveland Chapter Council on American Islamic Relations says some people were mocking 49-year-old Fazliddin Yakubov right before he was shot three times in the lower abdomen while pumping gas Friday night.

Yakubov is a native of Uzbekistan who is Muslim.

A hospital spokeswoman said Yakubov remained in critical condition Wednesday.

No arrests have been made. The shooting was caught on tape and the FBI is investigating if it was a hate crime.

Syed Ali Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2008 Award

Cavium Networks, a leading provider of semiconductor products that enable intelligent processing for networking, communications, storage, wireless, and security applications, today announced that Cavium Networks’ Chairman and CEO, Syed Ali, was named winner of the prestigious Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 award for Northern California. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Mr. Ali was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on June 21, 2008.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award from Ernst & Young,” said Syed Ali, Chairman and CEO of Cavium Networks. “This award is a culmination of the tremendous effort and dedication of the entire team at Cavium. We look forward to continue delivering world-class products to the market and building a leading semiconductor company.”

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards celebrate their 22nd anniversary this year. The program honors entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptionality in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

“Ernst & Young is pleased to honor outstanding business leaders such as Syed Ali,” said Rick Fezell, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for the Northern California. “Award recipients of the Entrepreneur Of The Year award build leading businesses and contribute a great deal to the communities around them. Their success helps our area grow stronger.”

As a Northern California award recipient, Mr. Syed Ali is now eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 national program. Award recipients in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award recipient, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 15, 2008. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Scaled down mosque plans still draw criticism

WALLINGFORD, CT–The move to downsize the mosque planned for Leigus Road in Wallingford  was meant to be conciliatory, but the battle lines over the proposal have only become more pronounced, the Record Journal reported.

When it was announced two weeks ago  that the plan would be withdrawn in exchange for a smaller mosque proposal, residents in the audience launched a noisy protest.

The Town Hall auditorium was packed with mosque supporters and residents carrying signs stating “No Mosque on Leigus.” A couple of residents carried signs urging the commission to keep Leigus residential. People on both sides brought their children to the meeting.

Leigus Road area residents were upset by the surprise announcement that the earlier plan for a stand-alone, 4,900-square-foot mosque had been withdrawn.
“If anything, it makes opposition to this stronger,” said Craig Fishbein, a vocal opponent of the plan.

Prior to the announcement, Tariq Farid, who is proposing the mosque, spoke at length about his plans and frustrations with the neighborhood opposition.

At the meeting Tuesday, Farid said the signs protesting the mosque could have been more innocuous. He also complained that residents did not reach out to work with him when he held a community meeting about the project. He said his efforts to work with the neighborhood have not worked out.

“I was trying to turn around and show the neighbors that I’m willing to compromise, but I don’t think they will turn around and work with us,” Farid said.
But while Farid said he is willing to compromise, finding another site – as many neighbors have suggested – is “not an option.” Farid said he has the right to build, so long as he meets local zoning requirements.

10-27

Port of Houston celebrated the 6th Anniversary of Small Business Development Program

What is Port of Houston? It is Number One in U.S. in foreign import tonnage and 2nd in overall tonnage; 10th largest port in world; 2nd largest petrochemical complex in world; 215 million tons of cargo; 150 public & private terminals; 7,057 ships annually and 150,000 barge calls. These were some of the statistics presented by the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) Commissioner James Edmonds and Executive Director Thomas Kornegay, as the PHA celebrated the 6th Anniversary of the “Small Business Development Program of PHA”.

Mistress of the Ceremonies was Melinda Spaulding, Anchor at KRIV Fox 26 News. Prominent speakers on the occasion included the Honorable Ed Emmett, Harris County Judge; Honorable Sylvia Garcia, Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 2; Honorable Sue Lovell, Vice Mayor Pro-Tem City of Houston Council and Kase Lawal, PHA Commissioner and Chairman of Small Business Task Force. In attendance were several elected officials, their staff members, special guests and prominent entrepreneurs of the region.

Through reciprocate and easy Small Business Certification Process, this program called “Small Businesses Doing BIG Business” is structured. With an application, the certifications from one of these agencies, namely the City of Houston, Houston Minority Business Council, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, U.S. Small Business Administration and Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance, is acceptable for enrolling with PHA.

Commissioner James Edmonds and Executive Director Thomas Kornegay informed that over $203.70 million worth of projects have been given to Small Enterprises’ since the inception of the program six years ago. This would mean 37% of small business participation in PHA projects. More than 1,100 small businesses are registered in the program and it is increasing every day.

Terence Cheng of TSC, Inc. and Gary Crouch of Crouch Environmental Services, Inc. were given special recognition as the “Biz Champions’ for Year 2007”.
Honorable Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said that over the years with ever increasing trade via PHA, the port has changed the very economic and social fabric of the region and the best change of all is that Small Business can now do Big Business with PHA.

Specials at 4th of July Houston ISNA Convention: Faiyaz Merchant

Theme of the ISNA’s Regional Convention in Houston over the July 4th weekend is: “Muslims in the Public Square: Spiritual and Institutional Development”. This was informed by social and entrepreneurial personality of the Houston community Faiyaz Merchant, as he further mentioned about certain specials during the conference. Like for instance, people can come for “No Charge” to see the excellent Bazaar during this upcoming ISNA Regional Convention at Houston’s Westin Galleria July 04 till July 06. Also those businesses, who offer specialized services and do not have products to sell on site at the Convention Bazaar like Clinics, Hospitals, Engineering Consultants, Business Opportunity Consultants, Media, etc. can have Vendor Booths for FREE at the Biz Arena during the Convention starting with Friday Prayers on July 04 and going all the way till Zuhr Prayers on Sunday July 06. For more information, call 281-748-9705.

During the Convention, nationally recognized and distinguished scholars and speakers like Ingrid Mattson, Sheikh Abdalla Idris Ali, Muneer Fareed, Sayyid Syeed, Louay Safi, Rodwan Saleh, Yahia Rahman, Mahmood El-Gamal, Monem Salam, Mohamed El-Moctar El-Shinqiti, Ibrahim Dremali, Dr. Laeeq Khan, Dr. Mazhar Kazi, Ubaid Qazi and many others. Registration is reasonable.

For more information, visit www.isna.net

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