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Perfect Birthday On your birthday I wish you much pleasure and joy; I hope all of your wishes come true. May each hour and minute be filled with delight, And your birthday be perfect for you! Birthday Blessings Instead of counting candles, Or tallying the years, Contemplate your blessings now, As your birthday nears. Consider special people Who love you, and who care, And others who've enriched your life Just by being there. Think about the memories Passing years can never mar, Experiences great and small That have made you who you are. Another year is a happy gift, So cut your cake, and say, "Instead of counting birthdays, I count blessings every day!" Happily Ever After On your birthday, special one, I wish that all your dreams come true. May your day be filled with joy, Wonderful gifts and goodies, too. On your day I wish for you Favorite people to embrace, Loving smiles and caring looks That earthly gifts cannot replace. I wish you fine and simple pleasures. I ...

By Asma bint Shameem Indeed, one night the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi Wassallam) was granted the Night Journey of al-Israa' wal Mi'raaj, when he was first transported from Masjid al-Haraam to Masjid al-Aqsa and then onwards, he ascended to the Heavens and Allaah spoke to him as He willed, and enjoined the five daily prayers upon him. This is definitely part of our Aqeedah. It says so in the Qur'aan [al-Isra':1] and there is no denying that fact. However, the big question to ask is……. What did the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaihi Wassallam) do when the same day arrived the next year? Or the year after that? Or the year after that? Did he EVER celebrate the night of al-Israa' wal Mi'raaj, or fast the next day??? And what did he instruct the Sahaabah to do about his Night Journey? Did he tell them to celebrate that night as a 'special night' for worshipping Allaah? Did he tell them to specifically fast the next day because it was 'the day after the Journey...

By  Ayesha Mehmood June 14, 2010 "Every second, someone in the world needs blood. And every step of the way, you have been there to fulfill that need. Your generosity has been the hope and courage for thousands of those patients who suffer from Thalassemia. Thanks to your support, those with Thalassemia now continue to lead complete and full lives. All barriers have been brought down, and continue to be brought down, and many Thalassemic patients go on to do extraordinary things! It is no doubt that blood is the vital need of all human beings. And this is most true for thalassemic patients. Thank you for saving the lives of countless people. Thank you for being their hope. Thank you for being an abundant fountain of courage and support." The above was a thank you card, sent to our regular blood donors to mark World Blood Donor Day. A little background : World Blood Donor Day builds on the success of World Health Day 2000 which was devoted to the theme "Blood ...

January 28th, 2008 Source: Dawn Op-Ed by Shahzad Roy When I was 10 years old, I saw on the nine o'clock news on PTV a woman with a dupatta draped round her head saying, "Pakistan tareekh kay aik naazuk mor say guzar raha hai." Then I turned 20 and again saw a woman, this time not wearing a dupatta on her head, saying with eloquence on the nine o'clock news, "Pakistan tareekh kay aik naazuk mor say guzar raha hai". Déjà vu… why? I tried to analyse the situation to find out how come Pakistan is still stuck at the naazuk mor even after the passage of many long years. I reached the conclusion that 50 per cent of our knowledge lies in asking the right question. Government functionaries, intelligentsia, armed forces, critics, human rights activists and, for that matter, all stakeholders ask questions. But they end up slinging mud at each other, for the simple reason that the questions they ask are never right in the first place. The question usually asked is:...

By Anthony H. Cordesman JUN 2, 2010 America's ties to Israel are not based primarily on U.S. strategic interests. At the best of times, an Israeli government that pursues the path to peace provides some intelligence, some minor advances in military technology, and a potential source of stabilizing military power that could help Arab states like Jordan. Even then, however, any actual Israeli military intervention in an Arab state could prove as destabilizing as beneficial. The fact is that the real motives behind America's commitment to Israel are moral and ethical. They are a reaction to the horrors of the Holocaust, to the entire history of Western anti-Semitism, and to the United States' failure to help German and European Jews during the period before it entered World War II. They are a product of the fact that Israel is a democracy that shares virtually all of the same values as the United States. The U.S. commitment to Israel is not one that will be abandoned. The Unit...

Some things should never be said ― like these phrases. Here, what to say instead. By Kristyn Kusek Lewis What Not to Say About Someone's Appearance Don't say:  "You look tired."  Why:  It implies she doesn't look good.  Instead say:  "Is everything OK?" We often blurt the "tired" comment when we get the sense that the other person feels out of sorts. So just ask.  Don't say:  "Wow, you've lost a ton of weight!"  Why:  To a newly trim person, it might give the impression that she used to look unattractive.  Instead say:  "You look fantastic." And leave it at that. If you're curious about how she got so svelte, add, "What's your secret?" Don't say:  "You look good for your age."  Why:  Anything with a caveat like this is rude. It's saying, "You look great ― compared with other old people. It's amazing you have all your own teeth." Instead say:  "You look grea...

Posted on  June 6, 2010  on Ruppee News ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was considering sailing to the Gaza Strip as part of an aid flotilla backed by the Turkish Navy. Lebanese newspaper al Mustaqbal quoted security sources as saying that Mr Erdogan was pondering the move in order to break the barrier imposed against Gaza by Israel. It said that "as part of the open conflict between Turkey and Israel following the massacre against the 'freedom sail' to Gaza and the protest sparked in the world, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is considering going to Gaza himself in order to break the blockade imposed on the Strip." The sources said Erdogan raised the option in discussions with associates. The report added that the Turkish leader also told the U.S. that he planned to ask his navy to escort another aid flotilla – but officials in Washington asked him to delay the plan in order to look into the matter. The move followed strong criticism of Israel by E...