When is the best time to go on a Cross Border Shopping Trip?

It’s pretty tricky to predict the times when the border is going to have the least amount of traffic. Alot of cross border shoppers say if you get their on a weekend at 7 am the border is likely to not have alot of traffic.

Long weekends are known to have a backlog of traffic so you might want to avoid those.

Leave your Credit Card at Home

On alot of major credit cards there is a 2.5 per cent fee for out of country purchases. For example TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, CIBI and The Bank of Montreal all charge this fee. If you are a frequent cross border shopper you may want to consider getting a US bank account or a US credit card.

Note: You won’t see this on your credit card statement as it’s rolled in with the exchange rate. You also won’t know the exact exchange rate you get charged because you don’t know how many days it will take for the business to process your credit card transaction.

Exchange Your Cash in Canada

Before you embark on your trip you will want to get some cash from a bank in Canada. American retailers often charge very different exchange rates. If you have your American Greenbacks all ready to go before you leave Canada, you will know exactly the type of deal you are getting.

How much is the personal exemption?

Personal exemption depends on the amount of time you are in the states.

Less Than 24 Hours You don’t qualify for any exemption, you must pay duty on everything you bring back with you. 24 hours to 48 Hours If you are gone for between 24 and 48 hours your personal exemption is $50. That means if you buy $50 worth of american goods you don’t need to pay a tariff on that first $50. You can’t include cigarettes or alcohol in this exemption and the goods must be on your person. More than 48 hours Your exemption for more than 48 hours is $400 worth of purchases. The following items are also exempt in this time frame: 1.15 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 1.14 litres of wine and liquor or 24 cans or bottles of beer 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 200 grams of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks. 1 Week or More If you are going for a week or more your personal exemption limit is $750 CDN. You can also bring back these items: 1.15 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 1.14 litres of wine and liquor or 24 cans or bottles of beer 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 200 grams of manufactured tobacco and 200 tobacco sticks. You may also include tobacco and cigarettes as a partial exemption and you are allowed to ship some items home before you cross the border. Note: The day you leave does not count as part of the seven days.
Account for Duty Charges

Different items and materials are charged at different rates. Don’t forget to account for these anomalies. You might want to do some research with the Canada Border Services Agency first.

 Reference: Ibn al Qayyim’s Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah, p.193

Authibillahhimina Shaytanir Rajim…Bismillahir Rahamanir Raheem
Allahumma Salle Ala Muhammed Wa Alle Muhammed

Praise belongs to God who guided us to His praise and placed us among the people of praise, that we might be among the thankful for His beneficence and that He might recompense us for that with the recompense of the good-doers!

Thankful 

 And praise belongs to God who showed favour to us through His religion, singled us out for His creed, and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence, in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them to His good pleasure, a praise which He will accept from us and through which He will be pleased with us!

 And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month, the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting, the month of submission, the month of purity, the month of putting to test, the month of standing in prayer, in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator!

Praise Allah 

 

Then He made one of its nights surpass the nights of a thousand months and named it the Night of Decree; in it the angels and the Spirit descend by the leave of their Lord upon every command, a peace constant in blessings until the rising of the dawn upon whomsoever He will of His servants according to the decision He has made firm.

Night of Decree 

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, inspire us with knowledge of its excellence, veneration of its inviolability, and caution against what Thou hast forbidden within it, and help us to fast in it by our restraining our limbs from acts of disobedience toward Thee and our employing them in that which pleases Thee, so that we lend not our ears to idle talk and hurry not with our eyes to diversion, we stretch not our hands toward the forbidden and stride not with our feet toward the prohibited, our bellies hold only what Thou hast made lawful and our tongues speak only what Thou hast exemplified, we undertake nothing but what brings close to Thy reward and pursue nothing but what protects from Thy punishment! Then rid all of that from the false show of the false showers and the fame seeking of the fame seekers, lest we associate therein anything with Thee or seek therein any object of desire but Thee!

 

 O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, in it make us attend to the appointed moments of the five prayers within the bounds Thou hast set, the obligations Thou hast decreed, the duties Thou hast assigned, and the times Thou hast specified; and in the prayers make us alight in the station of the keepers of their stations, the guardians of their pillars, their performers in their times, as Thy servant and Thy messenger set down in his Sunna (Thy blessings be upon him and his Household) in their rowings, their prostrations, and all their excellent acts, with the most complete and ample ritual purity and the most evident and intense humility!   

 

Five Prayers 

Give us success in this month to tighten our bonds of kin with devotion and gifts, attend to our neighbours with bestowal and giving, rid our possessions from claims, purify them through paying the alms, go back to him who has gone far from us, treat justly him who has wronged us, make peace with him who shows enmity toward us (except him who is regarded as an enemy in Thee and for Thee, for he is the enemy whom we will not befriend, the party whom we will not hold dear), and seek nearness to Thee through blameless works which will purify us from sins and preserve us from renewing faults, so that none of Thy angels will bring for Thee the kinds of obedience and sorts of nearness-seeking unless they be less than what we bring!

O God, I ask Thee by the right of this month and by the right of him who worships Thee within it from its beginning to the time of its passing, whether angel Thou hast brought nigh to Thee, prophet Thou hast sent, or righteous servant Thou hast singled out, that Thou bless Muhammad and his Household, make us worthy of the generosity Thou hast promised Thy friends, make incumbent for us what Thou hast made incumbent for those who go to great lengths in obeying Thee, and place us in the ranks of those who deserve through Thy mercy the highest elevation!

Purify Them 

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, turn us aside from deviation in professing Thy Unity, falling short in magnifying Thee, in Thy religion, blindness toward Thy path, heedlessness of Thy inviolability, and being deceived by Thy enemy, the accursed Satan!

 O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, and when in every night of this month’s nights Thou hast necks which Thy pardon will release and Thy forgiveness disregard, place our necks among those necks and place us among the best folk and companions of this our month!

Month’s Moon 

  O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, efface our sins along with the effacing of its crescent moon, and make us pass forth from the ill effects of our acts with the passing of its days, until it leaves us behind, while within it Thou hast purified us of offenses and rid us of evil deeds!  

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, and should we go off to one side in this month, set us aright; should we swerve, point us straight; and should Thy enemy Satan enwrap us, rescue us from him!

Rescue Us 

O God, fill this month with our worship of Thee, adorn its times with our obedience toward Thee, help us during its daytime with its fast, and in its night with prayer and pleading toward Thee, humility toward Thee, and lowliness before Thee, so that its daytime may not bear witness against our heedlessness, nor its night against our neglect!

O God, make us like this in the other months and days as long as Thou givest us life, and place us among Thy righteous servants, those who shall inherit Paradise, therein dwelling forever, those who give what they give, while their hearts quake, that they are returning to their Lord, those who vie in good works,
 outracing to them!

O God, bless Muhammad and his Household in every time, in all moments, and in every state, to the number that Thou hast blessed whomsoever Thou hast blessed and to multiples of all that, through multiples which none can count but Thee! Surely Thou art Accomplisher of what Thou desirest. 

Inherit Paradise 

 

 

Bless Muhammed and his Household 

Al Arabiya satellite channel

Al Arabiya satellite channel will broadcast tonight at 10:00 p.m. a new documentary film titled “Inside Islam” in cooperation with the Coexist Foundation established by Mohammed Jameel, president of Abdul Latif Jameel Company. The film is one of the latest productions based on Gallup’s research and studies, which are conducted under the title “What a Billion Muslims Really Think.”

The Coexist Foundation (www.coexistfoundation.net) has developed a not-for-profit relationship with The Gallup Organization, in which the Coexist Foundation has agreed to support Gallup in order to transform world thinking based on a set of facts — the collective views of the world’s Muslims and Western populations.

“Inside Islam” is the latest documentary produced based on such studies and research work. A private reception prior to the world premiere of “Inside Islam” was conducted for approximately 180 officials from the US Department of State, including top officials such as the assistant deputy of the secretary of state and officials responsible for the Middle East in the department.

Speakers included Farah Bandith, the special envoy of the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to Muslim communities, Dalia Mogahed, senior analyst and executive director, the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, and Alex Kronemer, co-founder and executive producer of the Unity Productions Foundations (UPF), the organization that supervised the film production.

In addition, “Inside Islam” has been introduced through other organizations, such as USAID, and the film will be broadcast for more than 40 times in several countries through the official offices and think tanks centers there. Coexist Foundation has agreed to partner with Gallup in order to promote and support their work in the project over the next 10 years. Gallup has completed unprecedented research in the Muslim world and the next challenge is to make sure that the most important opinion leaders around the world are aware of the findings.

The summary of the project: “Can You Hear Us? What One Billion Muslims are Saying” analyzed facts about the hearts and minds of the Muslim people. If the rest of the world understands these findings, many of the causes of the acute tension between the Muslim world and the West would diminish and some sources of potential conflict can be eliminated altogether.

The Coexist Foundation has agreed to partner Gallup in the next phase of this project in order to transform world thinking on fact-based research.

This project is called: “Changing the Conversation: The Muslim-West Fact Initiative for World Leaders” www.MuslimWestFacts.com. Gallup is already teaching leaders about research on the Muslim world. The partnership will include ongoing worldwide research with questionnaire design, fieldwork, analysis and reports, designed around their research on the Muslim world.

Generally we blame motivation or a lack of willpower for failing to keep our Resolutions. But this is too simplistic a view. If you want to create an endless source of motivation you have to understand what motivation is and how it works. Everything in life has many, many layers and levels to it. And motivation is no different.

No one has ever lacked motivation. Probably the most common area where people talk  about motivation is losing weight and exercising.

Now why is someone overweight? Because they have too much motivation for the foods that make them put on weight.

Why don’t people exercise? Because they are more motivated to do anything rather than exercise.

The problem is not motivation. You are always motivated, but you are motivated for the things that you feel will bring the greatest rewards or the least pain.

Your motivation depends to a great extent on your personality. Introverts are more interested in avoiding pain, whereas Extroverts are more concerned with possible rewards. Some people have a longer-term view of life, others care more about now.

So an Introvert with a longer-term perspective is far more likely to choose the fat-free option because he or she wants to avoid the pain of being overweight.

Whereas a more impulsive Extrovert will probably go for the chocolate cake because the reward now is far more exciting than the possible pain in the future.

Everything we do is based on an economic mindset. By economic I don’t mean financial, but we do attribute everything with a value. And we continually look to maximize our pleasure and reduce our pain.

So if your Resolutions aren’t working out. Look for what you are valuing more. The pay-off may not be obvious or even now, but on some layer or level there must be a pay-off.

This brings us to another aspect of motivation. Different Resolutions work on different levels and as a result access different sources of motivation. The source of motivation you are using will determine how long you stay motivated for.

What does this mean?

Well, there are five levels of Resolution that I can think of. And each one has a slightly longer life span than the last. I think of them like this:

The five levels are;

The Resolution you make because it’s expected of you.

This type of Resolution has no real emotional pay-off to you. It’s just something you are doing because doing something else may cause you the pain of disapproval or the risk of standing out and appearing abnormal.

Doing what’s expected is easy. It saves anyone nagging you and the effort of thinking for yourself.

But once you are out of that situation its hard to maintain, because it loses it’s reward and you have to suffer the pain of carrying it out.

The Resolution you make because you feel bad at the moment.

This type of Resolution is made as a knee jerk reaction in the moment to get rid of a pain. So it has an emotional pay-off, but as soon as the pain has gone there is no reason to continue.

For example, if you really analyze why people exercise – I used to own a Health Club, so I did – you’ll find that they tend to do it because they’re fed up being overweight or unfit or whatever. But this isn’t a sudden decision. Most have been considering exercising for months or even years. What really gets them to start is a more intense emotional pain.

Either a Doctor scares them into exercising or more often it’s a time when they feel insecure. Perhaps they have just got divorced… or their relationship is hitting a rocky patch and they are thinking of either competing for their Partner or being back on the dating market. Whatever the specifics they feel so bad when they worry that they have to do something to ease the pain. ‘Yes, they say I’m determined to stay on the program this time. I know its not a quick fix’. And they mean it when they say it.

Two or three months later though, the situation that was causing the pain has resolved itself one way or another. So the incentive for exercising has gone. Yet still the grind of going through the boring routine is still there. Sooner or later the pain of exercising outweighs the pain relief it used to bring. And then the Resolution ends.

The Resolution you make because you want something.

Sometimes this level comes from wanting something to get rid of a pain. And sometimes it just a natural ambition to grow. It lasts until you outgrow the desire or something better comes along.

Often people will go through the other levels of Resolution. And with each stage of evolution they find that life in general starts to feel better after overcoming a problem.

Then somewhere something just clicks and they realize that they feel better because each problem caused them to grow, in order to resolve it. The idea pops into their head that if they were to just grow for the sake of it… life might get more and more enjoyable.

Because this resolution is based on a far more permanent feeling it lasts for far longer than the previous motivations, which were just passing wants. However what you want and do to feel good will change as you grow.

One time you may want X, but three months or three years (depending on how quickly you are evolving) later you change your mind about what will make you feel good. Then your Resolution will change possibly before your motivation goes.

The Resolution you make because it’s you.

There are some things that you just feel so strongly about that you absolutely must do them or you would never do them. This is because they just aren’t you. So the motivation for this type of resolution will last for as long as your identity remains constant.

You can have different Resolutions in different areas of your life at different levels. Each level of resolution represents the overcoming of a problem or an urge to grow.

Overcoming these problems or achieving these desires causes us to grow and evolve. Once we grow there is no going back. Try not being able to ride a bike or do up your shoelaces. So problems and desires are the carrot and the stick forcing us to evolve.

Eventually we can reach a stage where we realize that… all along it was us that created the problems. And if we just accept ourselves as we are… we can enjoy all of life – and life will enjoy us.

revivalism and hybridism

This is an answer to Hilman Latief’s “Cosmopolitan Muslims: urban vs rural phenomenon” (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 8, 2009), a response to my previous opinion on “Thick Islam and deep Islam” (the Post, July 16).

Since back in the colonial period, rural areas have been central to the life of Muslims in Indonesia. Most pesantren, the center of Islamic learning and religious authority, are located in rural areas. Most santri, live in rural area. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in the country, is also based mainly in the rural areas.

While staying away from colonial government and then from Soeharto’s unfriendly politics towards Islam during his first two decades of power, Islam had more freedom to deeply and massively influence people’s life in the rural areas.

Consequently although politically and economically poor, Muslim life in the rural areas is rich with Islamic culture.

Through a long and sometimes uneasy process of give and take, in the rural areas Islamic values have been subtly intertwined with local traditions, norms and customs. As an expression of identity, as reflected in kenduri (ritual feasts) sarongs or qasidah songs, Islam looks more relaxed and comfortable both with itself and with others.

This is what I call “deep Islam”, an Islam that is deeply internalized and maturely externalized by its people, the santri.

Deep Islam is a rural phenomenon in the sense that it has fruitfully developed and has stronger influence in rural areas. Its home is there. Certainly this doesn’t necessarily mean that every rural Muslim is part of deep Islam or that deep Islam is found only in rural area.

To point out a beautiful green garden in one area doesn’t mean that everything there is green or that the green color can only be seen in that particular place.

Unlike in rural areas where Muslim culture has been a key player in social life for centuries, Islam was not as powerful in most urban areas.

In contrast to deep Islam, since the emergence of the *suddenly Muslim’ phenomenon in the 1990s in such cities as Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Medan, Banjarmasin and others, we are presented with an *overdone’ expression of Islam: too Arab, too pretentious, too snobbish, *too much’. This is an assertive Islam that consciously presents itself as being superior, the vanguard of a newly-enlightened people.

While it is true that not every rural Muslim is santri and thus part of deep Islam, it is justifiable to argue that thick Islam is also an urban phenomenon. Why?

Thick Islam is a new phenomenon, a tide that hit swiftly since the 1990s, , as a (probably unintended) consequence of Soeharto’s modernization project among the first Muslim generation of SD Inpres (Presidential Directive Elementary School, a project started in 1973) combined with the powerful wave of global Islamic revitalization after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

As such, most of its exponents are either young Muslims in urban areas or better educated young people in rural areas who became part of urban life of some sort. They represent a social segment with better access to the modernization project – the middle class. Just like many other social groups, this *suddenly Muslim’ generation is not at all a single entity.

It consists of sub-variants with different layers and degrees of Islamic thickness. In general, they can be categorized into two main groups: the core circle and the floating mass.

The core circle group, puritan in nature, is made up of young committed Muslim activists who are mostly interested in Islamic revivalism, either politically or culturally, or both.

Many of them are professionals and college students in various disciplines with strong eagerness in reinventing a golden Islamic age and converting the secular modern world of the cities where they live in, often as *quick fixe tactics’ for complicated problems.

Hasan al-Banna, Sayyid Qutb, al-Maududi, as well as Hizbut Tahrir, Jama’ah Tabligh and the like, are dearly aspiring and inspiring for them. They are the revivalist group.

The Prosperous Justice Party PKS)), MMI (Indonesian Mujahidin Council) and many neo-salafis are part of this group. They are relatively small, but very active and have great influence. This explains why most of their supporters are in urban areas. Their potential constituency and main markets are there. This also tells us why they grew rapidly in the beginning and are now stuck at certain point.

The floating mass, larger in number, are the *swing members’. Depending on the situation, they can be part of the revivalist group on the one side, or the cosmopolitan group on the other side of the spectrum. Or, they remain in the middle as part of a completely secular urban life.

Let’s call them the hybrid group. In many cases, they enjoy both the new market of Islam with tons of products to consume as well as the ever fascinating market of global capitalism.

They are easy going hybrid young Muslim generation who can be big fans of MTV trends and happy sympathizers of Islamic revivalism or Islamic cosmopolitanism, either separately or simultaneously.

They are young people – including those of non-santri background who share similar visions – with strong faith in the Islamic heritage and concerned with actual problems of the society and they have no hesitation in exploring new horizons and to taking part in universal global citizenship

Dr Marcel Smits

The Bedouin of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula have long been convinced that the milk of camels can cure almost any internal disease, driving bacteria from the body.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations reports that doctors in parts of Russia and Kazakhstan often prescribe it to convalescing patients.

In India, camel milk is used therapeutically against jaundice, tuberculosis, asthma, anaemia and piles.

And there is some evidence of a much-reduced incidence of diabetes in parts of the country where it is regularly drunk.

European health food?

In the Netherlands, proving the veracity of such claims to a sceptical European audience has become a family concern.

When 26-year-old Frank Smits became Europe’s first commercial camel farmer, his father, Marcel, a neurologist at Gelderse Vallei Hospital in Ede, decided to help the cause by recruiting his medical colleagues to look into some of the alleged health benefits of his son’s product.

Three years down the line, Dr Smits has attracted enough interest and credibility for his research to win funding from the local health authority and nearby Wageningen University.

“I think this milk does have some potential to become a new health food in Europe, but I prefer health food when it’s proven scientifically,” he said. “And that’s what we are trying to do.

“For example, we did a study with diabetic patients, involving giving them half a litre of either cow or camel milk here in the hospital, starting early in the morning and monitoring their blood sugar level every 30 minutes for three hours.”

The patients were not told whether they had drunk milk from a cow or a camel, said Dr Smits, adding that the the full results from the tests would be available at the beginning of next year.

“In the meantime, we are starting a bigger study, lasting three months, with up to 200 diabetic patients and we would not be commissioning such a study if the results of the first research had not been encouraging,” said Dr Smits.

“We have also found evidence that diabetics feel better when they are regularly drinking camel milk, that their quality of life seems to improve.

“I don’t know if this is only the influence on the diabetes or if it is also other aspects of camel milk which improve well-being. And that is also one of the things we are looking into.”

Importing problems

Frank Smits set up the farm in 2006, on land near his student halls of residence in Cromvoirt, with three camels imported from the Canary Islands.

He now has 40 animals, not enough of which are yet old enough to produce milk to give him the quantities he needs to move into profit.

“I read about the health-giving properties of camel milk,” he said. “And I thought ‘why are there no camel farmers here in Europe?’”

In India, camel milk is used therapeutically against jaundice, tuberculosis, asthma, anaemia and piles

It was a difficult process becoming the first one, though. The initial problem was that the camel was not officially classified by the European Union as a production animal.

Mr Smits had to have special permission from the government, proving his ability to treat the animals well and humanely.

Then he was told it was forbidden to import camels from outside Europe.

Then there was the problem of milking.

Problematic temperaments

Frank Smits claims to have invented the world’s first effective camel milking machine.

It looks similar to a cow milking machine, but the vacuum function is different, the pulsation is different and the devices which attach to the camel’s teats are different sizes.

Smits now has some 40 animals on his Cromvoirt farm

At the same time, Smits had to ensure there was a market for his product. He began handing out samples of his milk outside local mosques, appealing chiefly to Moroccan and Somalian immigrants whose families back home were accustomed to it as a staple.

“Of course there was no demand for camel milk at the start because nobody knew you could buy it here,” he said.

“But word did slowly spread and he now supplies to more than 50 shops in Holland and exports to Germany and to the UK.”

Eventually, his hope is that camel milk will catch on widely among native Europeans.

There is one serious obstacle to mass production, however, which is the problematic temperament of your average camel.

This not only requires the presence of its calf to give milk but, according to Frank Smits, also has to be in the right mood away from the company of strangers.

Share much in common in matters of faith, values and interests

In contrast to the past, the world of the 21st century is both transformed and threatened by the impact of globalization, a source of integration and fragmentation in international affairs, economic and social development, and inter-religious or multi-religious affairs. Today, President Barack Obama and European leaders are faced with the fallout from eight years of Bush legacy that led many Muslim critics of the US-UK war on global terrorism to charge it was a war against Islam and Muslims, an attempt to redraw the map of the Muslim world. Obama, in his inauguration and subsequent addresses to Muslims from Ankara and Cairo, has sought to recast America’s image among its Muslim and non-Muslim allies. His commitment to the importance of a multi-lateral approach with its emphasis on diplomacy in the pursuit of peace and justice — in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, were among the reasons for the recent and surprising award of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition and encouragement of Barack Obama’s fresh international vision in American foreign policy.

The Common Word Muslim initiative and the response by major Christian leaders and other global leaders to the document, “A Common Word Between Us and You,” reflects the deep awareness of today’s precarious and dangerous world of global politics and the need for Muslims and Christians to work together. As the CW document reminds us: “Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.”

“A Common Word: A Global Agenda for Change” was call to action. Sponsored by the Office of the President of Georgetown University, the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, it was the next step in the ongoing process of this groundbreaking initiative. Conferences at Yale and Cambridge universities and the Vatican had brought together global religious leaders and academic experts who explored the theological and scriptural bases and implications of the foundation of A Common Word, the two great commandments, Love of God and Love of Neighbor, based directly Christian, Muslim and Jewish Scriptures.

At Georgetown we addressed the “So what factor?” How do we respond to and put “Love of Neighbor” into action to address the many shared challenges and threats we face in our world? How do we transform a common word into common works?

Critical to realizing the purpose and goal of A Common Word is applied theology, transforming belief and dialogue into action. Conference encounters and their final reports alone, however good and important are too easily archived and do not in themselves change minds and hearts and transform societies. Words must be accompanied by action and deeds; visions must be implemented by concrete and, where possible, joint-efforts and projects.

Although convinced of the importance of this initiative, we were astonished at the incredible response. The acceptance rate from the global leaders invited ranged between 90-95%! Our opening session drew a capacity audience in Gaston Hall of 750; subsequent sessions averaged 500 to 600 participants. Media coverage included the Washington Post-Newsweek’s On Faith, Al-Jazeera English, Al-Arabiyya, BBC, and many others.

In addition to prominent religious leaders and academics, key participants included practitioners: political leaders, social activists, leaders of major NGOs and others who came together to discuss and develop a “global agenda for change.” Among the religious dignitaries were: the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theofilos III, the Grand Muftis of Egypt and Bosnia, Sheikh Ali Gomaa, and Mustafa Ceric; Professor Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America; Theodore Cardinal McCarrick and Archbishop Celestino Megliore; the Anglican bishop of London, Richard Chartres, Nigeria’s Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon and Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop the Evangelical Lutheran Church and President of the Lutheran World Federation. They were joined by former prime ministers, Britain’s Tony Blair and Norway’s Kjell Magne Bondevik, Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, the twentieth sultan of Sokoto, Nigeria, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and the presidents of major Christian and Muslim NGOs and organizations.

During our two days together we listened to and learned about the good practices, their challenges and accomplishments that already exist. Ken Hacket and David Robinson, leaders of Catholic Relief Services and World Vision, spoke of their global outreach and work in Muslim communities; Amr Khaled, charismatic preached and founder of the Right Start Foundation spoke of RSF’s many projects in the Arab world and Europe; Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director, Gallup Muslim Studies, reported on a major youth project, “Muslim Americans Answer the Call”; Fr. Eliseo Mercado and Amina Rasul-Bernardo spoke of their use of A Common Word in the Southern Philippines; Pastor Bob Roberts and Dr. Chris Seiple spoke of their respective partnerships and projects with Muslims in the Afghanistan and the Northwest Frontier Province. Presentations and discussions were open and frank, highlighting important accomplishments, issues and problems; areas of agreement and difference; and especially the need to recognize that differences of faith need not be an obstacle to partnership and collaboration in areas of mutual concern.

At the end of our conference, after two long and exhausting 10 hour days, we held a wrap-up discussion: “Where Do We Go from Here?”. While conferences like religious services often witness a good number of participants who hastily depart before the end, we were deligthed to see a full contingent and in fact had to finally cut off our session. After a summary of the key take-aways from our panels and leaders’ and members of the audience reactions, we turned to what we could and would do to promote the ideas and initiatives discussed and then identified areas and projects to be pursued and developed in future. Many asked that contact information be provided for future collaborations and follow-up workshops, regionally and locally. These recommendations and others were taken up the next day and will be at future meetings by the Executive Committee of THE C-1 WORLD DIALOGUE: Improving relations between the Western and Islamic Worlds, whose co-chairs are Dr. Ali Gomaa Grand Mufti of Egypt and Dr. Richard Chartres, the Anglican Bishop of London.

Co-education is a system of giving education to both sexes together. It has many consequences. It is economical and frugal. It generates a spirit of comradeship between boys and girls.

The problem of shortage of trained teachers can be dealt with by this system. Boys overcome their curiosity and girls, their shyness. They learn to respect one another. Though a few conservative people are against this system, their views do not hold ground. Co-education generates harmonious relationship, a sense of co-operation, and thus, helps in the progress of the nation.

Today, co-education is prevalent in almost all the countries of the world. In India, there are a number of co-educational schools, colleges and universities.

There are a number of advantages in the co-educational system of education. It is economical. Poor countries cannot afford to open separate schools for boys and girls. If boys and girls are taught together in the same school, then there will be no need to open separate schools for them. Thus, the cost to be incurred on building infrastructure, furniture, stationery, personnel recruitment, etc. will be saved.

There is a shortage of good trained teachers in developing countries like India. If there is co-education, same staff can teach both boys and girls at the same time in the same class, and the problem of shortage can be dealt with. Establishing more of co-educational schools can help in spreading literacy even with the limited teaching staff and infrastructure. Thus, it will be beneficial for both boys and girls and the nation as a whole.

Co-education helps the boys and girls to intermingle and understand each other well. They become more broad-minded and tolerant towards the opposite gender. They interact freely with one another, thereby overcoming hesitation and shyness. Thus, co-education leads to a healthy and harmonious relationship between boys and girls.

In a co-educational school, boys are free to meet and talk with girls. They develop a feeling of friendship among themselves. Boys then, usually don’t indulge in eve-teasing. Co-education contributes to the balanced development of the personality of boys and girls.

A new study has revealed that the co-educational schools are better as the presence of girls in classes restrains boys from indulging in unruly behavior and improves their academic performance. Infact, a higher percentage of girls not only lowers the amount of classroom disruption but also fosters a better relationship between students and their teachers. The researchers found that classes with more than 55% of girls resulted in better exam results and less violent outbursts overall. Boys with more female peers in their classes showed higher enrolment rates in both advanced mathematics and science classes, but overall benefits were found in all grades for both sexes. They conclude that this effect is due to the positive influence, the girls are adding to the classroom environment.

Infact the study found that primary school classrooms with a female majority showed increased academic success for both boys and girls. In the middle and high schools, the classrooms which had the best academic achievements overall were consistently those that had a higher proportion of girls enrolled. The researchers suggest that boys and girls may learn differently, but it is better not to send them to sex-segregated schools.

Boys become conscious of their dressing habits, behavior and the style girls. They work hard to remain ahead of one another. Co-education reduces gender bias in the society. It generates a feeling of equality between both and sexes. The feeling of male dominance may be wiped out from the society if this system of education is given importance.

However, some people are opposed to the system of co-education. According to them, this system is against the Indian culture and tradition. It is also argued that girls feel freer in an institution which is meant only for girls. As such they have greater scope of developing their personality. They also participate in sports, dramatics and debates more freely.

Teachers of some subjects like Biology also find it easier to explain some chapters more thoroughly if only girls or only boys are sitting in the class. Sex education has also been introduced and in co-educational schools even teachers find it difficult to discuss such topics in the class.

It is also felt that since students (especially teenagers 13-19 years of age) are of impressionable age, the possibility of their going astray is much more in co-educational institutions, where they enjoy more freedom of intermingling with the other sex. They also do not remain focused on studies.

It should be acknowledged that in the fast changing society of twenty first century co-education has to become the order of the day. Today girls are entering all professions in large numbers. Many of them are heading big organizations. Co-education will help young boys and girls to mix freely and understand one another better. Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens. We must encourage them to develop their personality in a free healthy atmosphere. Girls no more have to remain confined to the four walls of the house. Co-education will help both sexes to learn and work together for the progress of the country.

Randy Swing gets a meal in Venice from Nanetta Okonkwo who has multiple sclerosis and doesn't fast. Muslims exempt from fasting for various reasons must decide whether to eat publicly and face questions about their actions.

When Aatif Sharieff was growing up in a Maryland suburb, none of the other kids in his elementary school knew about Ramadan.

Each year, as the Muslim month of fasting came around, Sharieff had to explain to fellow students why he couldn’t eat lunch with them or drink from the water fountain.

“Everybody would ask,” he recalls. “It became like a broken record, ‘I’m fasting, I’m spiritual.’ ”

These days, Sharieff finds himself explaining to Muslims and non-Muslims alike why he no longer observes the traditional dawn-to-dusk fast. The 27-year-old Virginia architect lets people know that severe acid reflux means that he cannot go long without food.

“There’s this expectation . . . that everyone is fasting, so you kind of feel like this anomaly,” he said. “The first question people ask is ‘How’s your fast going?’ ”

He has to tell them that it’s not.

Each year as Muslims across the world observe Ramadan, which ends this weekend, other members of the faith face the challenge and occasional awkwardness that comes with eating and drinking in public during daylight hours. Some explain their situation to friends and colleagues and eat openly; others take furtive sips of water or quick bites of food in stairwells, cars or even bathrooms.

“You should not eat in public. It’s not banned, it’s just emphasized that you should respect Ramadan,” said Muzammil Siddiqi, a director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America, which rules on issues of Islamic law. “It’s not just an individual observance, it’s a community observance.”

In some predominantly Muslim countries, eating in public during Ramadan is illegal or so socially scorned that the decision for non-fasters is made for them. But in the United States and other countries with Muslim minorities, the choice can be more complicated. There are no rules banning public eating, but a rising cultural and global awareness means that more people — even non-Muslims — might ask, “Why aren’t you fasting?”

“It’s not a hidden phenomena like when I first came to America 35 years ago,” said Maher Hathout, spokesman for the Islamic Center of Southern California and a longtime Muslim leader in Los Angeles. He pointed to the annual Ramadan dinners now held at the White House and State Department, and growing coverage of the month by U.S. media outlets.

“Everyone knows, so it’s better to eat at home or shut the door of your office,” Hathout said.

Fasting for Ramadan can be a bit like filing complicated income tax forms, with various one-time or ongoing exemptions available.

Chronic illnesses such as diabetes or stomach ulcers can put a Muslim out of the Ramadan rotation permanently. Instead of fasting, those with such conditions are asked to feed a hungry person each day of the month. Muslims who are sick, traveling, menstruating, pregnant or breast-feeding have temporary exemption from fasting and must later make up the missed days.

Mariam Moustafa, a recent UC Irvine graduate, said she has never seen the need to eat secretly during Ramadan.

“I really don’t care. If I’m sick or on my period, I’m not the type of person who’s going to sit and eat in the corner,” Moustafa said.

“God gave me the right to not fast those days. It’s not me making up those rules, so there’s no reason for me to hide it,” she said. But she does try to be sensitive, she said, and avoids eating in front of those who are fasting.

Years ago, whenever Nanetta Okonkwo of Inglewood had to forgo the fast, she was careful about eating in public. She worried that if she didn’t have a chance to explain, non-Muslims would think Ramadan was optional. So, even at restaurants, she would tell her server why she wasn’t fasting.

Two years ago, Okonkwo, 40, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. These days, she refrains from eating openly during Ramadan so she won’t have to tell people about her illness.

“I want people to know that it’s the month of Ramadan and we don’t eat in Ramadan,” said Okonkwo, a special education teacher. “And if I ate in public, I would feel obligated to explain.”

Okonkwo said her inability to fast for the full day has been heartbreaking for her, but she works hard to find other ways to meet her religious obligations.

This year, on the third day of the holy month, she stopped at a natural foods restaurant in Marina del Rey and bought two veggie burger meals. Putting each in a plastic bag, she drove toward Venice, stopping briefly along the way when she spotted a man sleeping on the grass. She tried to wake him but he didn’t stir.

At the beach, Okonkwo walked along the bike path until she found a disheveled man standing near a canopy tied to a tree. “It’s Ramadan and I can’t fast so I have to feed someone,” she said quickly, handing him the food.

The man gave her a blank stare, but took the offering.

Hathout, a retired cardiologist, said many Muslims feel guilty about not being able to fast during Ramadan and believe it is an act of piety to try to struggle through it, even against doctor’s orders. As both a physician and community leader, he counsels such people that Islam forbids anything that harms the body, such as not taking medication or food when needed. He also tells them that fasting exemptions are a gift from God.

“And it’s not nice to not accept a gift from God,” he said.

The month is a major part of the Muslim faith. Children often begin fasting for short periods of time at an early age, to practice for when it becomes an obligation once they hit puberty. Even people who ignore other pillars of the religion, including daily prayers and giving charity, will fast, an observance intended to strengthen self-control and remind Muslims of the poor and hungry.

Sharieff stopped fasting in 2005 after his doctor suggested that the ritual might be contributing to his constant acid reflux and vomiting. He was relieved that his medical problem wasn’t more serious but also disheartened.

“Fasting for me is something you do. I mean Ramadan, boom, you fast,” he said. “Losing that was like losing a piece of . . . my iman,” his faith.