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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ YesPakistan Newsletter *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A service of the Human Development Foundation (HDF)
Helping people help themselves
Thursday, January 2, 2003
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ http://www.YesPakistan.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Assalamu Alaikum!

On behalf of the Human Development Foundation we would like to wish you all a very happy, peaceful and prosperous new year. We pray that God Almighty shower His blessings on you and your loved ones.

The twenty first century is still young. This new century has brought new challenges for all of us. As the United States has emerged the unquestioned supreme power of this new world, the citizens of this country face a new dilemma. How do we balance our concerns for safety and protection against terrorism with the founding principals of this country i.e. freedom of religion, human right, freedom of speech, civil liberties and respect for human dignity?

While some of the factors causing and contributing to this problem are out of the control of an average person, it is our responsibility as citizens of this country to monitor the situation, keep an eye on the world opinion, and continuously engage with the lawmakers here to help them make the right decisions.

As most of you know that the INS is requiring male citizens of the most of the Muslim countries to report to INS offices for registration as an anti-terrorist measure. Pakistan and Saudi- Arabia are the latest two countries added to this list. Since the notice is kind of short, many of our community members are not aware of this or if they are, they do not understand the gravity of the situation. Sometimes they are completely unprepared for the kind of questions that are being asked during these interviews. Many times they go presuming that they will be back after the interview and so are caught by surprise when they are detained. Their families go through a very traumatic period since they are in total darkness as to the whereabouts of the detainees.

As a community based organization, the Human Development Foundation feels it is morally responsible to inform and alert the community members about the situation. For this purpose we have prepared a flyer that we hope can be copied and distributed among your members. You can download the PDF at http://YesPakistan.com/INS/INS-HDF.pdf

It can also be enlarged and put up as a poster in your masjid / Islamic Center. If there are some volunteers who can also make copies and distribute it to or put up poster in the local ethnic grocery stores, it will definitely have an added impact. We appreciate your help and co-operation in this matter.

The message to those members of our community who are being adversely affected by the current situation is to stay united, work within the boundaries of the law of the land, and help each other as much as possible. We hope and pray that their ordeal will be over soon.

The responsibility is even greater for those of us who are not living in the United States. They are the people who must work towards developing a positive image of our community by promoting tolerance across ethnic, religious and racial boundaries. By preaching and practising respect and equal rights for women, minorities and children, we can create a society that sets the highest standards for human behavior.

We pray to God Almighty that this difficult period in the life of our people in this country is over soon. Meanwhile we have to do our best and help each other. May God bless you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,
M. Khalid Riaz
Shahnaz Khan
Co-Chair
The Human Development Foundation

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*~*~*~ Pakistanis in USA Must Register Between Jan. 13 2003 to Feb. 21 2003
http://YesPakistan.com/INS

*~*~*~ Pakistanis and the Religious minorities in Pakistan
http://YesPakistan.com/minorities/minorities.asp

*~*~*~ Page on Minorities in Pakistan
http://YesPakistan.com/minorities

*~*~*~ Online Poll Result - December 2002
HDF Pakistan, is one of the leading community development organizations in Pakistan. Please tell us if it's method of operations should be:
Collaborate, but maintain autonomy and independence. (54.12%)
Work completely independent of the government. (27.06%)
Collaboration with the Government of Pakistan. (18.82%)

*~*~*~ Regional Report: Shamsabad
http://YesPakistan.com/HDF/whatwedo/shamsabad-1102.asp

*~*~*~ Frequently Asked Questions
http://YesPakistan.com/hdf/faq.asp

*~*~*~ Internal Terrorism
Since 1970, three times as many Pakistanis have been killed in civil strife as the number of casualities in its three wars against India
- Human Development In South Asia 1999. Pg 6

*~*~*~ Donate for Pakistan
https://www.YesPakistan.com/hdf/whatyoucando/donation.asp

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HDF is an organization of Pakistani-Americans. Our aim is to inspire all Pakistanis abroad to network and help people help themselves.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/28/2002 5:32:02 PM

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