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How the Government of Ontario would entertain such a regressive notion as the introduction of Shari’ah law in the resolution of family matters continues to mortify me. Widely documented and internationally condemned as being contrary to basic Canadian values, the abuses, biases, and discrimination practiced against women under Shari’ah has no place in my province.

Justice is blind to nothing but the facts, Shari’ah law is not.

It devalues women and accords them little if any protection in respect to domestic
disputes. To believe that the provision of Shari’ah law as a “voluntary” dispute
resolution alternative is naivety at its grandest. Implementing this puts women at
risk of coercion, condemnation, and alienation within the Muslim community should
disputes arise and they fail to “voluntarily” opt for resolution through Shari’ah
tribunals.

“Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel
others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore
obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose
part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-
places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely
Allah is High, Great.”
(Qur’an 4:34 English translation: MH Shakir)

I know this because Hinduism had a similar “voluntary” practice called suttee. For
Hindu women who became widowed “voluntarily” jumped on the funeral pyre,
sometimes being “helped” by her husbands family to maintain their honor upon his
death. The British outlawed this practice 200 years ago, and for good reason. It is
not inline with western thought - and as hard as it may be for some to believe,
Canada IS a western nation.

I believe that women, irrespective of faith are entitled by law to equal status,
protection and representation as their male counterparts. “Equality before and under
law and equal protection and benefit of law” is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms. Shari’ah does not embrace this ideal in its application to
domestic matters and on that ground alone if no other, is unacceptable. Ontario
already has means of arbitration. The Family Law Act exists to govern family legal
matters in the Province of Ontario and should also be the only applicable Act in
respect to family matters in the Muslim community.

I urge anyone who claims stake in the future of Canada to write to the Premier and
voice your concern for the introduction of Shari’ah law as a legally binding means of
arbitration.

http://www.lonelycanuck.com

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It’s a perception that’s long been held in American politics. The Republican Party is anti-black and racist and the Democratic Party is pro-black and anti-racist. The Republicans cry foul and point to their history of fighting for civil rights, the Democrats scoff at such lunacy. Without getting into a long and arduous debate over which side is correct in it’s assumptions regarding the other, I feel that both parties have a lot of work to do and that neither are blameless in regards to the treatment of blacks in America.

That said I have long felt that the literature of a time period was a reflection of life during that time. A person wishing to know how the English elites lived in the Victorian Era would get a good idea of the reality of it by reading Jane Austen or Emily Bronte. Likewise, a person fifty years from today who wants a snapshot of our culture would do well to read Grisham, Clancy, or yes, even King and any number of romance novelists. Not an exact image by any means, but a good ‘feel’ for how it was.

Due to recent employment difficulties I’ve found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands and have been catching up on some reading that I was putting off until, well, I had a lot of extra time on my hands. As such, I’ve begun re-reading ‘The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes’ a huge and complete tome of the fictional detective’s life written by Arthur Conan Doyle between 1891 and 1905. The reason I mention this and indeed the reason I’m writing this piece is because of a passage I stumbled across while enjoying ‘Adventure V. - The Five Orange Pips’ published originally sometime between July 1891 and December 1892 in the London magazine The Strand.

In the passage a young gentleman has come to Mr. Holmes’s Baker Street residence and began to recount past events to help the detective understand the man’s predicament. During the narrative he says this about an uncle:

“…About 1869 or 1870 he came back to Europe, and took a small estate in Sussex, near Horsham. He had made a very considerable fortune in the States, and his reason for leaving them was his aversion to the Negroes, and his dislike of the Republican policy in extending the franchise to them…”
Imagine how startled I was to see, in a story written 112 years ago, a reflection of the Republican Party’s policy of ensuring the rights of blacks.”

Now, don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying the Republicans are as pure as the driven snow in regards to this issue, but in fairness, neither are the Democrats. A political body is only as good as the individuals who combine to create it and as a party, the Republicans have a long held policy of supporting constitutional rights for every citizen in this country, as this hundred-year-old passage published in an English magazine illuminates. To that end, it is unfair to throw a blanket accusation of racism across any political ideology, whether liberal or conservative, and serves only to make the accuser look foolish and ignorant.

Steve Doss is a freelance writer and editor of Narratives of the Weird.

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Sports footwear is in all likelihood the most key piece of equipment you will purchase so it’s imperative that you pick & choose the correct pair.

Many people don’t realise that there are various differences in the way in which sports footwear pad your feet. It’s not great for your feet if you take part in football or tennis in the same shoes that you use whilst jogging.

“It has been reported, that sixty-five percent of the England’s recreational male athletes & women sportsmen put on the incorrect shoes for their chosen leisure activity,” he says. “Trainers are the most imperative piece of sportswear gear you’ll ever purchase & changing what you wear on your feet can thwart injuries.”

Football can put loads of strain on the feet, in particular when playing on synthetic pitches such as AstroTurf. The shoes can also put pressure on your feet, and it’s not strange for a footballer to suffer from corns, calluses or damaged, thickened & ingrown toenails. A excellent, well-fitted pair of football boots is necessary & there should not be any signs of pressure on the foot after a match or training session.

Racquet sports: It’s essential when playing racket sports, such as tennis or badminton, to select trainers exclusively intended for the purpose. These sports involve a great amount of right-to-left movement & sports footwear won’t offer the required steadiness. Racquet sport trainers are heavier and more harder than running shoes, since their toes are designed for stop-&-go action. Comfort is recommended to be your chief concern and It’s very important to swap your sports shoes commonly.

Hill-walking is a wonderful way to commence a gentle exercise schedule, whilst the more daring go for mountaineering. It is wonderful for your cardiovascular health but is lower impact & so comes with reduced risk of harm. Find superb deals on cricket trousers online today.

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The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced on January 26, 2009 the finalists for the 14th annual Industry Achievement Awards (IAA). The awards celebrate students, individuals, and local companies that “best demonstrate innovation and excellence in creating new technologies, applications, and services.” Intelius, the leading information commerce enterprise founded and led by Naveen Jain, will be one of the presenting sponsors in the prestigious event. Other presenting sponsors include Microsoft, Vertafore, Regence BlueShield, AH&T Insurance, Wells Fargo Insurance Services, and RealNetworks. The local technology community will determine the winners through an online voting system that has already begun in February; while the winners are yet to be announced during its awards night on March 25, 2009 at The Paramount Theater. The event will also celebrate WTIA’s 25th anniversary. About the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) Founded in 1984, WTIA is the largest statewide association of technology companies, individual technology professionals and IT departments in North America. With over 1,000 member companies representing in excess of 100,000 employees in the state of Washington, WTIA enables its members to exchange best practices, effectively network with associates, reach business goals, and gain new business perspectives. About Naveen Jain and Intelius Naveen Jain founded Intelius in 2003 with the goal of providing security to customers as well as pertinent information for everyday decisions. Fusing his knowledge in business and his expertise in technology, Naveen Jain has earned his firm a number of esteemed awards including one of the “2008 Fastest Growing Private Companies” by Puget Sound Business Journal; “Best New Company” in the 2006 American Business Awards; and ranked 127th in “Deloitte & Touche’s Technology Fast 500″ of North America. Naveen Jain is also the founder of InfoSpace. He served as its CEO since its inception in 1996 until 2002. Before forming InfoSpace, Jain worked at Microsoft Corporation from 1989 to 1996.

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A good home inspector is worth his weight in gold when buying Gallatin Homes for Sale. Be sure to find one that is knowledgeable and thorough because this is the time to know everything possible about your new home. After you close…it’s too late to do anything about problems.

What are a few good questions to ask your potential home inspector?

1. Are you licensed? They must be licensed in the State of Tennessee.

2. Are you insured? Is this errors and omissions insurance? Or another kind?

3. What is the scope of your inspection? What systems do you cover?

4. What is your background? Do you specialize in any particular aspect of construction?

5. Many inspectors do not cover the HVAC system beyond checking the air temperature. You should expect to hire an expert HVAC inspection.

6. Do you have references? Don’t just take the references…but personally check them out.

7. What will your inspection cost? And when it is paid?

8. How much time will you spend at the property? A thorough inspection (for an average size home) will take approximately 3-4 hours.

9. Do you inspect for any environmental issues? Most inspectors do not - but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

10. Do you provide a written report? With photos? Does this report cover future maintenance timeframes?

By the time you have asked these questions - you should have a good idea of the competence of this inspector for Gallatin Homes for Sale. Don’t be afraid to ask any question you feel necessary. And a good inspector will welcome questions after the inspection has been completed.

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A not insignificant number of firms get really disconcert when the scenario gets to the heart of exchange rate industry jargon, even so, the industry terms truly is pretty straightforward. Hence whether you’re a sole trader or a big firm looking to change overseas money; what follows are a few unambiguous and painless definitions which could with a little luck chase away all of the obfuscation and make the oftentimes misunderstood process of making extra income through exchanging overseas currency a tiny little bit easier.

Starting off with the most elementary of definitions an exchange rate is the current price at one specific country’s money may be converted into another’s. So for an example the exchange rate would be the quantity of Thai Bhatt you should receive in exchange for every single Saudi Riyal.

Fixed exchange rates are additionally recognised by the handle ‘pegged exchange rates’; fixed exchange rated are put to good use to stabilize the value of a currency; especially during periods when that specific currency is fluctuating heavily; this helps to help out business & investment.

Floating exchange rate - this is when a currencies value is set through market forces. This is a more hazardous way to conduct business but additionally this is the situation where you can often have the chance to really make a profit,

You should of course hear talk of animals in currency circles; a bull is a person that foresees that market values will go up conversely a bear is an individual that thinks market values will fall. A bull market is a marketplace where prices are currently moving upwards and a bear market is the exact opposite - a marketplace where prices are moving downwards

A currency broker is someone that acts as an intermediary man in-between you and the market - currency brokers are actually oftentimes in a position to get you the choicest price when you are looking to purchase or sell. You might want to start your search for a place to buy foreign currency, get clicking.

The dollar rate is the exchage rate that a single unit of any currency has when put against a single unit of the US Dollar; this is a very useful barometer for a national currencies value.

This is really by no means a exhaustive and comprehensive group of terms - merely a good starting point; but with a little investigating you may be appreciably on your way to now becoming a financial expert in no time.

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A round in online poker can sometimes result in a tie or near-tie because players have the same cards. For instance, two players are each holding an Ace at the casino, and make a pair when an Ace materializes on the board. Two high ranking cards and two low ranking cards appear. This is a situation where the kicker comes into play because whoever is holding the five best cards, including those on the board, wins. The kicker is the other pocket card held by each player. If each has made an Ace pair, with no other pair for their other pocket card, then whoever is holding the best kicker wins the pot. If one player is holding an 8, and the other a 7, and board has an Ace, King, Queen, 5 and 2, then the 8 plays to win the pot because it is a higher card than the 7 held by the other contender.

Sometimes the kicker doesn’t matter because the poker cards on the board all play and produce a split pot. For instance, if there was a 9 and 10 out there instead of 5 and 2, then each player would have a pair of Aces, with King, Queen, and 9. Their hands have tied to split the pot.

The kicker can be crucial for winning sometimes. It can also turn a seemingly weak hand into the strongest. When the board combines to make two pairs, and neither of those pairs improves anyone’s hand, then whoever is holding the highest card gets the pot. For example, the board has two 2s, and on the river a 7 comes out to pair the turn card. There are two pairs out there, but no one is holding a 2 or a seven or higher pair. Whoever is holding the highest kicker in that situation is the winner.

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British Land Company PLC, largest trust in the real estate investment business reported on last week that it has completed the sale of its Triton Square office complex at Regent’s Place in London. The property was sold to Abbey.

These moves by the owners of the property follow a number of measures which have been taken by the organizations involved in the real estate business to raise capital and their financial statements.

As reported in the end of December, the total value of all the assets owned by the British Land Company was over fourteen billion pounds.

The Triton Square premises are an area of Regent Place which is owned by the British Land Company. On the estate are a total of five buildings with a massive one million square feet of office, retail and leisure space. Currently, around seven-thousand workers are employed on the grounds.

The property bought by Abbey is a 200,000 square foot first rate office building which was developed by British Land in 2002. The property was sold for $170m or £115m showing an initial yield of 7.2 percent, making it certainly not amongst the cheapest in London. In the current climate however, cheaper rentals can be found, particularly if you are in the market for cheap desk space.

The buyer has chosen to rent the building for almost £9m per year for the next 15 years. The Director of the British Land has reported that Abbey was now not only a significant resident of Regent’s Place, but will now become an important strategic partner in the thirteen acre property.

The director also stated that they are committed to completing their high quality developments at Regent’s Place One and Two later in the year.

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Why do they need 3 Special Reports. It seems that the Department of Defense, the Congress, and the President are all going to do special reports on what went right and what went wrong with regards to the government response to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Victims. Before this is over I wouldn’t be surprised if the State Governments also launch Investigations.

It’s been said allowing Government agencies to investigate Government agencies is like letting Dillinger guard a bank vault. What purpose does multiple investigations serve. The outcomes are very predictable Congress is going to blame the President. The President is going to blame the Congress. The State Governments are going to blame the Federal and Military bureaucracies. The Military will blame the Department of Homeland Security, It may not happen just as stated above but everyone will blame everyone else. The finger pointing will resemble a bunch of kids in a sandbox.

Politicians have to much to loose if they are too hard on themselves. What politician is going to stand up and say if we would have done this differently we could have saved many lives (plug in a number).

The only way to get real usable information is to have an Independent commission not associated with any of the groups responsible for responding. The purpose of the report shouldn’t be to finger point (unfortunately mistakes will be needed to be pointed out). The Purpose of the report should be to put policies and procedures into place to enable a better response next time. In the wake of disasters no matter how well the relief effort goes if even one or two things can be learned to save even 1 life next time it is worth investigating and making the improvement.

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