By Karin Friedemann, TMO

Mahmoud al Sarsak

While President Obama awarded Israeli president Shimon Perez with a medal last week, world outrage about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has escalated exponentially as professional footballer Mahmoud al Sarsak nears death from his hunger strike of over 90 days in protest of his illegal incarceration. Thousands of other Palestinian prisoners, including 20 children, have joined his hunger strike. Despite a media blackout, the word has been spreading globally through Facebook and Twitter.

With Sarsak, Akram Al-Rikhawi, a prisoner for 8 years on his 57th day of hunger strike, wrote in a letter to the world: “This is an urgent and final distress call from captivity, slow and programmed death inside the cells of so-called Ramle Prison hospital, that you know that your sons and brothers are still struggling against death and you pay no attention to them and do not remember their cause…You are the ones able to support us for victory in our battle.”

Sarsak, a 25 year old from Rafah, in Gaza, was arrested at a checkpoint while on his way to the West Bank to play with the Palestinian national team in 2009. Since then, he has been detained without charge or trial, and has not been allowed to see his family.

He is being held under the Unlawful Combatant Law, which allows Israel to detain Palestinians from Gaza indefinitely without charge or criminal proceedings being brought to court. As with every other Palestinian prisoner held by Israel, Mahmoud was transferred to a prison outside of the Occupied Territories. This is illegal under Articles 49 and 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of prisoners from an occupied territory to that of the occupying state. 2,000 prisoners, according to Palestinian prisoners’ rights group Addameer, are held as administrative detainees without a chance of trial.

UN Special Envoy to the Occupied Territories, Richard Falk, has called for the 25 year old’s release, saying that ‘he has suffered immensely.’ Sarkar has lost 33 percent of his body weight. After three months without food, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel issued a warning that he could die at any moment.

There are huge demonstrations expected in Scotland on Saturday, where Israel’s women’s soccer team is to play against Scotland. Mick Napier, chairman of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), explains: “There should be no business as usual for Israel’s national teams while Israel denies Palestinians the same privileges.”

Meanwhile, dozens of professional athletes have been rallying to Sarsak’s cause, sending out twitters to fans. “In the name of sporting solidarity, justice and human rights, we declare our support for Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Sarsak. As European sportsmen, we believe that every person has the right to a fair and independent trial,” wrote Marcelo del Pozo, an Argentinian player for Spain.

Seville striker Frédéric Kanouté posted on his website: “In the name of civil liberties, justice, and basic human rights, we call for the release of Mahmoud Sarsak.” Kanouté gained international fame when he lifted his team jersey to reveal a shirt with the word “Palestine”after scoring a goal during a league match at the height of Israel’s January 2009 attack on Gaza, an action for which he was fined $4,000.

Other supporters include Nicolas Anelka, former player for Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Real Madrid, and French sailor Jo Le Guen. Prominent figures such as former France and Manchester United midfielder Eric Cantona, film director Ken Loach and American philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky have urged Israeli authorities to release Sarsak. Protests under the banner “Let Sarsak Live” took place in London’s Trafalgar Square last week to raise awareness of his ordeal. In a letter to The Guardian, former UK Member of Parliament John Austin called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to “reconsider its decision to hold its under-21 championship in Israel in 2013.”

Amnesty International also proclaimed that Sarsak, “who is at risk of death after more than 90 days on hunger strike in protest against his detention by Israel should immediately be admitted to a civilian hospital or released so that he can receive life-saving medical care.”

Philippe Piat, vice-president of FIFPro, the global organization which represents professional footballers said, “freedom of movement is a fundamental right of every citizen. It is also written down in the FIFA Regulations that players must be allowed to play for the national team of their country. But actually for some footballers it is impossible to defend the colors of their country. They cannot cross the border. They cannot visit their family. They are locked up. This is an injustice.’

As the Israeli Asaf Harofe Hospital announced that Sarkar’s death could come within hours, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) became heavily involved in pressing the Israelis for Sarsak’s release. On June 20, Mahmoud Sarsak rejected an offer from negotiators and lawyers to be released to Norway or Sweden.

Mahmoud wants to be free to go to his home in the Gaza Strip only.

Gaza TV News reported on June 21: “After 91 days on Hunger Strike, Mahmoud Sarsak is to be released on July 17th. We will post further news as it reaches us.” This report has not yet been confirmed, so it is vital that the public continue writing letters and making phone calls of support.

14-26

By Nargis Rahman, TMO

Rafique Bin Sayedee, son of Jamaat-e-Islami political leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee, was pronounced dead from cardiac arrest at Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh on June 13. Rafique felt chest pain during a lunch break in the court room where witnesses in his Delwar’s trial were ongoing cross-examination for Delwar’s alleged war crimes during the Bangladesh 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan.

Last month Rafique visited with Muslims in New York and Michigan and spoke about his father’s allegations. Toyab Al-Bari, President of Muslim Ummah of North America’s Michigan chapter, said he feels saddened by Rafique’s death. “A few weeks ago he was with us here and he went back. He was crying in front of 100s of people. “(He said) they unjustly took my father to jail,” said Al-Bari, 47, an accountant for the City of Detroit.

Muhammad Azim of Troy, an engineer, said he was 12-years-old during the Liberation War. Although Azim does not know whether or not Delwar was involved in war crimes (Azim said Delwar was not from the same area in Bangladesh), he said he saw the distress left behind by the Pakistani army and Jamaat-e-Islami followers who killed innocent people.

Azim, 52, said the trials conducted by the International Crimes Tribunal have to be fair and just to move on. “This has been lingering for a long long time,” he said.

“They deserve a fair trial. If they are found guilty they should be given the highest punishment. The things they did were despicable,” he said of those who killed  the Bangladeshi army, raped women and burned homes. An estimated 3 million people died in the war.

Delwar was granted parole for two hours to attend his son’s funeral on June 14. At the funeral site Delwar said he was innocent of alleged war crimes against humanity, mass rape and genocide. He later suffered a minor heart attack after returning to jail. He is in critical condition at the hospital Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation for Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders in Dhaka.

Rafique was buried next to the Allama Sayedee Foundation Mosque in Pirojpur, Bangladesh. He was 43.

Reuters

Members of the ruling military council, Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Assar (l.) listens as Maj. Gen. Mamdouh Shahin speaks during a press conference in Cairo on Monday. Sami Wahib/AP Photo

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood declared on Tuesday it did not want a confrontation with the ruling generals but said the army did not have the right to curb presidential powers after a vote the group says its candidate won.

The campaign of Ahmed Shafik, the ex-military man who was in the run-off against the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsy, has also claimed victory in the race. Official results from the weekend vote are not expected to be announced until Thursday.

The ruling army council, which took control when former President Hosni Mubarak was driven from office last year, issued an 11th-hour decree assuming legislative powers until a new parliament is elected, and keeping control of army affairs.

The decree came out on Sunday as counting for the presidential vote was under way. Days earlier the army had implemented a court ruling to dissolve the Islamist-led parliament, stripping the Brotherhood of its biggest gain since Mubarak was ousted.

Thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and outside the parliament building on Tuesday to protest against the army’s decree. Protesters also gathered in Egypt’s second city of Alexandria.

It came after the Brotherhood, backed by other factions including ultra-orthodox Salafi groups, called for a mass rally.

“We do not seek any confrontation with anyone and no one in Egypt wants confrontation,” said Yasser Ali, spokesman for Morsy’s campaign.

Appeals

“There has to be dialogue between national forces, and the people alone must decide their fate,” he told a news conference, but added: “Nobody in Egypt is above the state and the constitution … Everyone must abide by the popular will.”

The Morsy campaign restated claims that the Brotherhood candidate had secured 52 percent of the vote in the run-off held on Saturday and Sunday, compared to 48 percent for Shafik, who was Mubarak’s last prime minister.

“We are speaking of facts and documents and not indicators or speculation. That is what is different from what the other party says to you,” Ali said, issuing numbers that the group compiled from their records of the count. The figures were slightly different from the numbers they announced on Monday.

“There is no shred of doubt that these numbers will be the numbers that the election committee will announce,” he said. “There may be slight changes after appeals from both parties but we are confident in what we say.”

Shafik’s campaign also held a news conference to restate its claim to have won, saying he had 51.5 percent of the vote.

“We will go to the maximum legal point possible to confirm the fact that Shafik leads the results and confirm he is the next president of Egypt,” spokesman Karim Salem said.

Each candidate is allowed representatives at polling stations, which means they can collect a national tally even though the election committee has not announced results.

Morsy’s campaign has filed more than 100 appeals contesting the results in smaller constituencies. Shafik’s campaign said it was also lodging appeals. An election committee official said appeals could be filed until Tuesday evening, the official news agency reported. (Writing by Tamim Elyan; Editing by Edmund Blair and Pravin Char)

14-26

Smoke rises from the Baba Amr neighbourhood of Homs June 19, 2012. REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout

Syrian rights activists say violence across the country Wednesday has killed at least 53 people, after the head of a United Nations monitoring mission says his team is committed to staying in the war-torn country.

Rami Abdelrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told VOA (by phone) that he fears Syria will become “the new Somalia or the new Afghanistan.”

The Observatory has a network of contacts in Syria including rebels, activists and state security members.  Abdelrahman said at least 28 Syrian soldiers, one army defector and 24 civilians and rebels died Wednesday.

He said clashes, shelling and bombings killed Syrians from north of Aleppo, to the southern city of Daraa, to the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and the northwestern province of Latakia. Abdelrahman also reported deaths from attacks in Hama, Idlib and Damascus provinces.

The latest violence comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross said it is preparing to evacuate wounded people and trapped civilians from the city of Homs. The ICRC said Wednesday both sides agreed to its request for a temporary halt in fighting so the ICRC can carry out the evacuations and bring in much-needed medical supplies.

On Tuesday, the head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria said the “suffering of the Syrian people” is getting worse and that questions about canceling the monitoring mission are premature.
“I remain committed with the mission in the positions we are currently in.  We’re not going anywhere,” said Major General Robert Mood.

Mood told the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that attackers have targeted his 300-strong unarmed observer team several times in the last few weeks.  He says at least nine U.N. vehicles have been damaged.

Mood and U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said the mission in Syria was suspended on Saturday because of escalating violence, but team members did not leave the country. The decision was the clearest sign yet that a peace plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan has collapsed.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama said in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Tuesday that Russia and China have “not signed on” to any plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s removal from power, but that both countries’ leaders recognize the dangers of an all-out civil war.

Obama said the Syrian leader has lost all legitimacy and that it is impossible to conceive of any solution to the violence that leaves him in power.  The U.S. president acknowledged the lack of any breakthrough with the leaders of Russia or China, despite intensive talks.

Moscow and Beijing are long-time allies of Syria and have shielded Assad from U.N. sanctions sought by Western and Arab powers who oppose his nearly 12-year autocratic rule.

The Security Council agreed to send the observer mission to Syria in April to monitor government and rebel compliance with a U.N.-backed cease-fire agreement, but the truce never took hold. The observers’ 90-day mandate expires in mid-July.

VOA News

14-26

By Adil James, TMO

Syed Taj is a doctor who came from a position of prominence as a Michigan doctor to a position as a Canton Trustee in 2008. 

Dr. Taj sought and won the position as trustee in what was once a very Republican district, and through his work has won friends from both parties including prominent Republicans.

He now holds a very strong position in a congressional race which is set for primary on August 7th.  In fact, Dr. Taj was alone on the Democratic side of the ticket until latecomer Bill Roberts appeared, attempting to jump into the vacuum created by Republican Thaddeus McCotter’s bizarre failure to qualify for the 2012 Republican primary in his congressional district after massive fraud resulted in nearly all of his petition signatures being thrown out as invalid.

Roberts, however, has so much political baggage that he almost certainly cannot win the election and is unlikely to defeat Dr. Taj.  Roberts is a follower of Lyndon LaRouche, the extremist now barred from his recurring presidential bids by his status as a convicted felon for conspiring to commit mail fraud to the tune of $30 million.

Dr. Taj explains that the cult-like LaRouche following has made its presence felt in recent history by posting signs comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler and working to rally anti-Obama support outside post offices, malls, and other public places.

Roberts’ principal policy aim (remember he is listed on the ballot as a Democrat) is to impeach President Obama.  In fact Roberts’ website lists seven distinct rationales for impeaching Obama, the last being that Obama conspired to overthrow the United States.

Dr. Taj explains that once people know who Roberts actually is, polls show that nearly 70% say they are “unlikely to vote” for him.

But all depends on whether Taj will be able to get out his message of who Bill Roberts really is; fortunately Roberts is helping to get out this message, as his radical agenda is inescapable in his promotional literature.

The landscape for the general election has been swept nearly clean by McCotter’s failure to meet the necessary requirements for participation in the election.  McCotter is a well-known incumbent Republican in a predominantly Republican district.

“Right now obviously we are focusing on the primary,” says Taj.

“The primary is over for the presidential race, but the primaries for for Senate, congress, state and local elections are still to come,” explains Dr. Taj. August 7th is the date of the primary where voters will choose between the LaRouche “Democrat” Roberts and the accomplished Trustee, Dr. Taj. 

“On the Democratic side,” says Taj, “the guy who jumped into the election, Bill Roberts, not a Democrat, is a follower of Lyndon LaRouche, it’s almost like a cult, a very extreme group, look at larouchepac.com, or look at Bill Roberts’ website.”

“This year, [the LaRouche people] have 6 people running for congressional seats.”

“So this guy obviously, with my name being foreign, and I am the main candidate, so 10 days before the deadline, he filed as a so-called Democrat.  So now I have a primary.  My main focus is to get through the primary.”

“Everyone is supporting me, most unions are supporting me, some have officially come out, some will come out….  The Michigan Democratic party, local clubs within my district, every elected official within my district.  Congressman Gary Peters, Senator Stabenow are supporting me.”

Dr. Taj explains that through redistricting he obtained a part of Peters’ former district.

“DCCC–The Democratic Congressional Central Committee from Washington—they have sent people from DC to my campaign headquarters, trying to see how viable my candidacy looks.”

“Keith Ellison is behind me,” says Dr. Taj, “he introduced me to a lot of donors across America, in a conference call–right now there are two elected Muslims in congress, with a third we can form a caucus, we will have more power. 

Taj explains he decided to contest the election when “in 08 I was elected in Canton Township–I got elected in a very Republican city as the first Democrat ever.”

Inspired by his desire to improve issues such as health care, education, and more, he got involved.

Health care is a major focus for him, as he has worked as a health care provider for more than 40 years:  “I believe in health care for every single person.  It is a human necessity, quality care, affordable inexpensive health care.”  That is a first priority, he explains. 

“I know it could be done–we know what wastage there is” in the healthcare system…. “If we work on the wastage, the money is there.”

For an industrialized nation, Dr. Taj explains, it is a shame that there is not universal health care.

He also focuses on jobs.  “The jobs of the future, we need to compete globally with science, technology, engineering, math, foreign language because we are not confined to the boundaries of the US now.” He explains that global markets impact China, Mexico, and Korea as well.

On foreign policy, Dr. Taj explains, “as you know our foreign policy purely depends on US foreign policy.  We have to work with the big pundits.  We have to modify our stand based on caucuses and the groups we are working with.  But basically still the same policy we have now, advocated by the Democratic party and the nation.”

As for his current standings in the election Dr. Taj explains that “Roberts is not a Democrat.” 

“We did a survey.” Dr. Taj explains that when Democratic voters are confronted with Roberts belief that Obama should be impeached, they turn away from his candidacy in droves.  68% said they were unlikely to support him.

Taj is fighting well in this election.  “We are knocking on doors, mailing, soon we will start robocalls, done by the Michigan Democratic Party; the next set of mailings will be done by the MDP, I have done my part.”

14-26

Egypt election: Muslim Brotherhood claims victory as military consolidates power. However, recent moves by the Egyptian military leave the nation largely in the hands of the generals.

By Hamza Hendawi

Muslim Brotherhood logo

Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi claimed a hollow victory Monday in Egypt’s presidential vote just hours after the country’s military rulers stripped the office of its most important powers.

The power grab by the ruling generals delivered another major blow to hopes for a democratic transition born out of last year’s uprising that ousted authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak.
The generals, who deny having effectively staged a coup and rendering the elected president a mere figurehead, will maintain authority over the crafting of laws and the drafting of a new constitution. Civilian oversight of their budget and other affairs will be strictly off-limits.

If Morsi’s victory is confirmed in the official result expected on Thursday, it would be the first victory of an Muslim Brotherhood as head of state in the stunning wave of pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East the past year. But the military’s moves to retain power sharpen the possibility of confrontation and more of the turmoil that has beset Egypt since Mubarak’s overthrow.
“The military may partially exit from power after a new round of tough negotiations with the Muslim Brotherhood and the secular opposition on safeguarding its interests,” said Azzedine Layachi, a Middle East expert from St. John’s University in New York. “However, and no matter what, the military will continue to play a dominant role in Egyptian politics. The question for now is whether they will continue to do so directly for the coming years or indirectly behind the façade of a civilian rule.”

In Washington, Pentagon press secretary George Little said the U.S. was troubled by the timing of the military leaders’ announcement and would urge them “to relinquish power to civilian-elected authorities and to respect the universal rights of the Egyptian people and the rule of law.”

“This is a critical moment in Egypt, and the world is watching closely,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. “We are particularly concerned by decisions that appear to prolong the military’s hold on power.”

The Obama administration has sought to safeguard its interests while championing change in Egypt. Mubarak made Cairo a bulwark of American influence in the Middle East before being pushed from power in February 2011.

The new measures came just days after a court packed with judges appointed by Mubarak dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament, and the military assumed broad authority to arrest civilians — and less than two weeks from the date the rulers set for a transfer of power back to civilians.

The generals issued a “constitutional declaration” late Sunday before even a single ballot was counted at the end of the second and final day of a presidential runoff that pitted Morsi, a U.S.-trained engineer, against Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak’s last prime minister.

The new president, according to the document, will not be able to declare war or order troops out on the streets in case of domestic unrest without the prior consent of the military. He will also have no say in the affairs of the military, whose top brass will exclusively exercise the right to appoint commanders and extend their service.

The declaration removes the title of “Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces” from the next president, breaking with the tradition enshrined by Egypt’s four presidents since the overthrow of the monarchy nearly 60 years ago. All four were career military officers.

Using its legislative authority, the military council issued another decree made public on Monday forming a new national defense council made up of 11 senior military commanders, including the defense minister, as well as the president. Though the council’s mandate was not specified, it appears to be another step to limit the role of the president and enshrine the role of the military as the highest authority over national security policy.

Additionally, implicit in the new political timeline spelled out in the first document is that the next president may not serve more than one year of his four-year term and that the generals would remain in power at least until early next year.

The declaration says preparations for a new general election must start within a month of adopting a permanent constitution in a nationwide vote, something that is not likely to happen before late this year. With a new constitution widely expected to redefine the nation’s political system, including the powers of the legislative and executive branches, new presidential elections will most likely be inevitable soon thereafter.

The declaration gives the generals the right to replace the 100-member panel selected by the dissolved legislature last week to draft a new constitution. Liberals and others have boycotted the panel to protest what they said was its domination by Muslim Brotherhood, the same reason that led to the dissolution of a previous panel by a court ruling.

Mostly Muslim Brotherhood lawmakers announced plans to try to force their way into parliament’s building on Tuesday. The military has warned that soldiers stationed outside the facility since Thursday’s court order would arrest anyone who tries.

Kristen A. Stilt, a Middle East expert from Northwestern University in Illinois, believes the scope of the military’s concerns began to “dramatically broaden” when the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament first sat about six months ago and later when the lawmakers sought to dominate a panel mandated to write a new constitution.

When Morsi’s chances to win the presidency appeared to be good, the generals made their move when they still had the chance.

“From their point of view, these events threatened more than the military’s privileges and interests, and the military moved in for what is being called a ‘legal coup’ — using the tools of law rather than, at least to date, significant force,” she said.

Without naming Morsi, the generals on Monday sought to assure the nation that the next president will have full presidential powers and that the transfer of power remained on track for before the end of this month. They said the new president will have the authority to appoint and dismiss the government and can reject legislation forwarded by the military as the interim legislative branch.

“We’ll never tire or be bored from assuring everyone that we will hand over power before the end of June,” Maj.-Gen. Mohammed al-Assar, a senior member of the ruling military council, told a televised news conference Monday. The transfer, he said, will take place in a “grand ceremony” for the whole world to see. He did not give an exact date.

“The military risks squandering the support it has if it seems like it is resisting any form of change,” said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert from Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies. “As I read it, there is a broad constituency for measured change in Egypt, and the military has demonstrated great difficulty managing expectations.”

But the promise by the ruling council to hand over power did not satisfy Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most powerful political group.

In a statement, the Brotherhood’s political arm, the Freedom and Justice party, said the generals had no right to issue the constitutional declaration less than two weeks before the scheduled handover, and rejected their endorsement of the court ruling that dissolved the legislature.

The military has been the single most dominant institution in Egypt since a group of young officers seized power in a 1952 coup and later overthrew the monarchy. Many in the pro-democracy youth groups behind last year’s anti-Mubarak uprising have warned that the generals who took over from Mubarak would not willingly step down and allow civilians to take over the reins of power. Also at stake is that the generals don’t want anyone meddling in their affairs and demand immunity from civilian scrutiny of their vast economic interests.

The backdrop to those concerns is a history of enmity between the military and the Brotherhood, which emerged after Mubarak’s ouster as the nation’s most powerful group.

The army officers who seized power in 1952 turned against the Brotherhood two years later, jailing its leaders along with thousands of their supporters. Mubarak, mentor of the generals who succeeded him, spent most of his 29 years in office cracking down on the group.

The Brotherhood has spent most of the 84 years since its inception as an outlawed group, a time it used to master underground work and discipline its members. Also over the years, it has built a reputation for opportunism and backroom deals.

Secular activists say the group has abandoned them during a series of anti-military protests in the 16 months since Mubarak’s ouster in which security forces used deadly force. At the time, they claim, the Brotherhood was close to realizing its dream of political domination and did not want to do anything to upset the generals.

Though official results have not yet been announced, the Brotherhood released a tally that showed Morsi took nearly 52 percent of the vote to defeat Shafiq, who mustered 48 percent in a very close race. The count was based on results announced by election officials at individual polling centers, where each campaign has representatives who compile and release the numbers before the formal announcement.

The Shafiq campaign rejected Morsi’s claim of victory and accused him to trying to “usurp” the presidency or lay the groundwork to challenge the official result if it shows Shafiq winning.

In a victory speech at his headquarters in the middle of the night, Morsi, 60, clearly sought to assuage the fears of many Egyptians that the Brotherhood would try to impose stricter provisions of Islamic law. He said he seeks “stability, love and brotherhood for the Egyptian civil, national, democratic, constitutional and modern state” and made no mention of Islamic law.

“Thank God, who successfully led us to this blessed revolution,” he said. “Thank God, who guided the people of Egypt to this correct path, the road of freedom, democracy.”

Associated Press

14-26

By Almas Akhtar, TMO

June 9–Detroit—On Saturday June 9th, 2012, the Indus Community Action Network(ICAN) held its first annual dinner at the beautiful Charles H Wright Museum of African American History.

ICAN president Dr Waseemullah (4th from left), with all the directors (l-r) Nimr and Beenish Ikram, Atiya and Waseemullah, Ahmed nadeem, Jawad Arshad, Kashif and Seemin Qureshi, Noshaba Mohsin, Almas and Adil Akhtar, Nauman Imami.

ICAN is an organization that aspires to make positive social changes in the lives of not only Pakistani American or Muslim American Communities, but rather all communities at large. ICANS’ vision is to build vibrant spaces within those communities that enable its members to lead dignified lives. ICAN is the first of its kind in that it is run by Muslim Americans to provide aid to our fellow American citizens.

The evening’s guests were gathered in the regal atrium, surrounded by the beautiful artworks donated for charity auction. The capacity of the atrium is 250 and it was completly full. The high glass ceilings, revealing the majestic sky, contrasted beautifully with the elegant gold and peacock-feather centrepieces placed elegantly atop the organza table covers. Beautiful plaques with names of the parents of the sponsors were placed on the tables.It was a symbol of love for their parents and acknowledgement of the theme ‘Honor thy Parents’.

The MC for the evening, Dr. Nauman Imami, welcomed the guests and introduced the president of ICAN, Dr Waseemullah. He presented a poem about parents in honor of the theme ‘Honor thy Parents’. A beautiful poem in Urdu with English translation brought tears in everyone’s eyes.He invited Ms Seemin Qureshi to the stage–she is a director of the organization and also the driving force behind the ‘Wisdom Keepers Program’.

She spoke about the purpose of ICAN, the first of its kind of organization launched over a year ago to give back to the community which has selflessly offered so much. The seniors of this group or rather the Wisdom Keepers who were seated on a separate table in the audience–applauded Ms Qureshi along with everyone present in the atrium. She was given an award by the organization in honor of her services to the community.

Later, Dr Waseemullah talked about the Dream Project of ICAN which hopes to bring about the revival of Detroit by American Muslims, one home at a time. ICAN’s team presented their hopes and their dreams for their city, a city plagued by poverty, ravished by corruption and defenseless in the face of soaring unemployment.

The keynote speaker of the evening Mr Rami Nashishibi the co-founder of IMAN (Inner City Muslim Interfaith Action Network), he talked about the importance of social justice and urban development and how a group or a community can achieve these goals. The evening’s other speakers included Ms. Rashida Tlaib and Dr. Syed Taj, who touched on the importance of helping our youth. Finally, Mr. Ashraf Qazi, known for his philanthropic endeavors, took the stage and shared a few words about giving back to the community. He was awarded ICAN’S first Community Service Award.

Other highlights of the evening included a silent auction, consisting of items donated by various families, organizations and businesses within the state of Michigan. Many of the guests took part in the silent auction.The winners were announced after Maghrib prayers. The guests enjoyed delicious dinner and desserts and they also looked at the beautiful exhibits in the museum which was open for ICAN guests till 9:00pm. The evening ended by a brief thankyou by Dr. Jawad Arshad, another director of ICAN and the remarkable operatic prowess of Mr Zeeshan Begwadi.

The guests of the evening had nothing but good remarks for this organization and its team. Ms. Sabiha Omar, one of the guests, called it ‘an elegant event’. Another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Muqtadir, also appreciated all the efforts of the organization and thanked the team of ICAN. Ayesha and Sarah Farooqi of Sterling Heights said that ‘they had an amazing time’.

14-25

By Richard Spencer, Peter Foster

US State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland voiced “deep alarm” for the fate of Haffa, scene of some of the fiercest fighting yet seen in the conflict, amid reports that government tanks and heavy artillery had surrounded the town.

Free Syrian Army members, with covered faces and holding weapons, sit by the side of a street in Qaboun district, Damascus June 11, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer

Kofi Annan, author of the now collapsed United Nations-sponsored peace deal, had earlier told how helicopters had strafed rebel positions in Haffa following days of heavy fighting there.

“The United States joins joint special envoy Kofi Annan in expressing deep alarm by reports from inside Syria that the regime may be organising another massacre,” Miss Nuland said.

“We remind Syrian commanders of one of the lessons from Bosnia: The international community can and does learn what units were responsible for crimes against humanity and you will be held responsible for your actions.”

Syria has already experienced two major massacres recently, with 55 people killed last week in al-Qubeir and at least 108, about half of them children, killed in Houla on May 25.

In Haffa, more than 20 soldiers were reported to have been killed by rebels on a single day last week, and 58 altogether in recent days. Video posted online showed the shrouded bodies of ten children aged up to 13 who were killed in a bombardment on Saturday. The footage showed their mothers weeping over them.

Opposition activists in the town of Rastan, which has successfully resisted a government siege for a month, also came under close fire from three gunships yesterday, followed by a heavy bombardment from artillery shells.

Meanwhile the city Homs, at the heart of the rebellion against the Assad regime, was bombarded by concentrated artillery fire as government forces moved to crush the increasingly confident resistance movement.

Last night, Mr Annan warned that a “large number” of innocent civilians were now trapped by the violence and that he was “gravely concerned” by the “escalation of fighting” between the two sides.
“There are indications that a large number of civilians are trapped in these towns,” his spokesman, Ahmed Fawzi, said. “The special envoy demands that the parties take all steps to ensure that civilians are not harmed, and further demands that entry of the UN Military Observers be allowed to the town of Haffa immediately.”

In a House of Commons statement on the crisis yesterday, William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, accused the Syrian regime of carrying out “savage” and “grotesque” crimes against its people. He said the behaviour of the Assad regime was “morally reprehensible” and that the Syrian people had endured “fifteen months of fear and suffering”.

The Foreign Secretary told MPs that 87,000 people had fled to neighbouring countries, 15,000 had been killed and thousands of political prisoners imprisoned during the uprising.

“Each day reports emerge of savage crimes,” he said. “The Syrian military are surrounding and bombarding towns with heavy weaponry, and then unleashing militia groups to terrorise and murder civilians in their homes. These deliberate military tactics are horrifyingly reminiscent of the Balkans in the 1990s.”

Mr Hague said that Britain was training activists who were monitoring and recording atrocities, including that in Houla last month in which 108 men, women and children were killed.
He also said there was evidence that groups linked to Al-Qaeda had committed acts of violence to “exacerbate the situation”.

“We will not rule out any other option which could at any stage stop the bloodshed,” he added.

The level of violence in Syria has now returned to that seen before the announcement of a ceasefire in April. Monday, the Syrian Network for Human Rights reported 58 deaths across the country, the majority in Idlib province in the north where the rebel-held town of Maarat al-Numan has been under regime attack for several days.

The town of Rastan, which has not figured prominently in news reporting, has just managed to hold out against government forces. Yesterday however, an activist, Walid Mohammed Abeid, told The Daily Telegraph that its situation was now desperate. “All our houses are destroyed by the bombing, from the air and heavy guns and cannon,” he said. “We ask everyone outside to look in their hearts and help us, please, please, please. We are being killed every day.”

A spokesman said that in Qusair, between Homs and the Lebanese border, government snipers had shot dead a priest, named as Atallah Ibrahim Bitar.

Fr Atallah had donned his clerical robes while taking food to people hiding from a week-long regime bombardment of the town, much of which is in rebel hands, thinking that he would be protected.
Qusair has a significant Christian minority, and the town’s rebel council was swift to deny a report by a Vatican news agency that Christians had been ordered to leave by Islamist elements in the rebel Free Syrian Army.

Most of the town, of both religions, had already fled the fighting in any case, it said in a statement.

In another scene strongly indicative of an outright civil war, rebels captured a battery of missiles near the city of Hama and claimed to have briefly targeted them on the presidential palace in Damascus. They were then forced to flee by an intense counter-attack.

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

French playmaking midfielder Samir Nasri has hinted that he fooled England goalkeeper Joe Hart, when he scored the equalizer in the 1-1 draw in their opening match of the European Football Championships in Poland.

The Manchester City footballer received the ball on the edge of the box and fired past his Chelsea club teammate at the near post to bring Les Bleus on level terms before halftime after Joleon Lescott gave England the lead in the 30th minute.

France controlled much of the possession, with Nasri a constant threat to Roy Hodgson’s defense and he is confident that his team will progress to the next round of the tournament. “It was important not to lose. We have made much progress,” Nasri told reporters after the draw. “We are more mature. And we want to do something with this generation. “Now, we need to focus on the next [match]. I am confident in our ability to qualify for [the] quarterfinals.”

The 24-year-old commented on his goal, hinting that he was able to fool the England keeper by beating him at his near post, rather than opening up body to take the shot. [Fellow Muslim Franck] Ribery gave me the ball. The English defense was slow to close me down so I had time to hit it. And as Joe Hart knows me well, I decided not to open up my foot as usual.”

Nasri is one of seven Muslims on France’s Euro 2012 squad, including Valencia defender Adil Rami, Marseille midfielder Alou Diarra, Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda, Newcastle forward Hatem Ben Arfa, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, and Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery. France’s next Group D game is against Ukraine later this week.

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Agencies told not to exceed last year’s budget, prepare for other possible cuts

State budget problems haven’t gone away. News from the State Comptroller’s office this week noted 26 consecutive months of increasing sales tax revenues. And, Texas franchise tax receipts of $4.3 billion through May have already surpassed predictions of just $4 billion for all of 2012. Yet state agency officials were reminded earlier this week that budget constraints will once again be a big part of the upcoming 83rd Texas Legislature, which convenes in January 2013.

With the next legislative session on the horizon, agency officials are preparing their 2014-2015 legislative appropriations requests (LARs) that will become part of a budget roadmap for members of the Texas Legislature. And, even with a stronger-than-predicted growth in state revenue, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) issued a memo to the heads of state agencies, commissions, institutions and agencies of higher education and appellate courts and justices instructing them that with few exceptions, they are not to increase their basic budget requests over last year’s amount.

“While our revenue growth has been healthy this year, we must plan conservatively, which is why we have asked agencies to hold the line on spending,” said House Speaker Joe Straus.

There was even more squirming when the LBB asked for a supplemental request that would show how agency officials would, if necessary, reduce their baseline request by an additional 10 percent relating to General Revenue and General Revenue-Dedicated funds.

The LBB memo also alerted agency officials that they should be painfully aware that “agencies may be asked to reduce their fiscal year 2013 budgets should state fiscal conditions warrant it.”

There was not much good news in the LBB edict.

Agency officials are just hopeful that the 83rd legislative session will not reap the $14 billion in cuts made in state funding last session. Those cuts left public schools laying-off teachers and employees, institutions of higher education increasing tuition rates even higher and state agencies in many cases having to do even more with fewer resources – human and financial.

The only good news going into the budget-writing session is that the kind of cuts made last session are not likely to be necessary. Or at least that’s what Sen. Steve Ogden (chair of the Senate Finance Committee) says. Ogden, who is not seeking re-election, told the Bryan-College Station Eagle that state revenues in Texas are growing. “The Texas economy was the last in the recession and the first out,” he said, even predicting the state will have a “small, but not insignificant” budget surplus.

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