Liberal Interim Leader Bob Rae Dept: Harper hinted that changes to Canada's pension system are in the works while at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last week, touching off a flurry of speculation as to what those changes might be -- including bumping the age of eligibility from 65 to 67 years old, according to CTV. "The prime minister stated categorically during the leader's debate . . . that this government was not going to be touching transfers to individuals and transfers to seniors . . . is the prime minister committed to sustaining seniors or is he committed to breaking his promises?" Liberal Interim Leader Bob Rae charged during question period and with budget cuts on the agenda, Prime Minister Stephen Harper outlined plans to reduce the deficit, but carefully avoided specifics on possible changes to Old Age Security during the first question period on Parliament Hill after a six-week break. Opposition parties complained that the Conservatives never mentioned touching Old Age Security when they were on the campaign trail. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

President Barack Obama Dept: My father doesn't speak Spanish, Craig Romney announced to the crowd gathered in the parking lot out-side Casa Marin restaurant, according to Vancouver Sun. Whatever his linguistic limitations, the former Massachusetts governor was telling his audience in English exactly what it wanted to hear - slamming a decision last year by President Barack Obama to liberalize U.S. policy toward Cuba. "Mi papa no habla espanol." It was less apology than explanation, and it hardly mattered to the 200 mostly Cuban-American voters who had ventured out on a muggy South Florida afternoon to hear Mitt Romney make his pitch to be the 45th president of the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

President Barack Obama Dept: WASHINGTON - It's a photo destined to become an iconic image of Barack Obama's presidency an angry, Tea Party-backed politician, wagging her finger in the face of the man despised by the movement's "patriots.", according to Winnipeg Free Press. The controversy wasn't showing any signs of dying down on Monday, with Brewer herself fanning the flames and a conservative website digging up old footage of a high-profile journalist jabbing his finger at George W. Bush and arizona Gov. Jan Brewer points during an intense conversation with President Barack Obama at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, , Jan. 25, 2012, in Mesa, Ariz. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Haraz N. Ghanbari The recent tarmac tiff at the Phoenix-Mesa airport between Obama and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer over a passage in her new book is emblematic of the bad blood between left and right since the first black president in American history took office three years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Tooba Yahya Dept: KINGSTON, Ont. Three members of an Afghanistan-born Montreal family were defiant Sunday in the face of life in prison and harsh condemnation for the murders of three daughters and a co-wife apparently motivated by what the judge called their twisted concept of honour. , according to The Chronicle Herald. The three immediately pronounced the verdicts as unjust, but the judge was unmoved, cutting right to the core of the cultural cloud that hung over this case and uPDATED 5:26 a.m. Sunday A jury took 15 hours to find Mohammad Shafia, 58, his wife Tooba Yahya, 42, and their son Hamed, 21, each guilty of four counts of first-degree murder in a so-called mass honour killing that has captivated Canadians from coast to coast, and touched off post-911 criticism of Muslim culture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Brian Topp Dept: The eight leadership hopefuls didn t so much direct their pointed criticism and wit at each other, but rather at an unseen foe whose looming spectre all but dominated the proceedings: Stephen Harper, according to The Chronicle Herald. Webster s Dictionary has the following definition of the word hypocrite: It s a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs, Topp read and iT TOOK just seconds at the federal NDP leadership debate Sunday in Halifax for the true adversary to emerge. British Columbia MP Nathan Cullen called the Harper government a clear and present danger, while former party president Brian Topp used his precious opening minute not to tout his platform or detail his own background, but to quote from the dictionary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nicholson Dept: Conservative MP Roxanne James used her designated government-side slot during question period to invite Justice Minister Rob Nicholson to share the government's view of the "so-called honour killings.", according to CBC. "In Canada murder is murder regardless of the motive," Nicholson said. "Our government has always focused primarily on the rights of victims and not on the twisted rationale offered by convicted murderers." Sunday's three guilty verdicts in the Shafia quadruple-murder trial in Kingston were welcomed by members of the Harper government. "So-called honour killings are barbaric and unacceptable and have no place in Canada," Nicholson told the House of Commons. He echoed a commitment first made in a Sunday press release from his office "to protecting women and other vulnerable persons from all forms of violence and to hold offenders accountable for their acts." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Domestic Violence Dept: And so, before the Shafia trial even began, a grass-roots campaign, facilitated by social media, emerged to address the issue of family violence head-on. No more denials. No more defensiveness, according to Globe and Mail. This was soon followed by a National Call to Eradicate Domestic Violence, signed by over 100 mosques and community leaders across the country, which stated: Domestic violence and, in the extreme, practices such as killing to restore family honour violate clear and non-negotiable Islamic principles, and so we categorically condemn all forms of domestic violence. As part of this call, imams across Canada gave sermons unequivocally condemning family violence. Signatories pledged to go further by raising awareness, and providing workshops in mediation, anger management and family counselling and mind you, those working in the field of social services, have known all too well about the breadth and depth of family dysfunction. Their voices, their pleadings have been largely ignored, as community leaders have been more interested in building grandiose mosques, than dealing with social illnesses within the community. During media coverage of the Aqsa Parvez murder, traditional institutions, for the most part, stuck their collective heads in the sand, pointed to domestic violence elsewhere, and blamed the media for biased coverage. Those who wanted to do something, anything, to address the issue, realized they had to bypass those who refused to open their eyes. Imam Sikander Hashmi, the newly-appointed imam in Kingston, took the lead the day the Shafia trial began. In no uncertain terms, he told the congregation that honour crimes were heinous, and forbidden by Islam. He reminded the audience that while such crimes were committed by different ethnic/religions groups, Muslims should step up to the plate and be part of the solution. That includes unequivocal condemnation of murder, and the establishment of resources to address family tensions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mohammad Shafia Dept: And so it was: Mohammad Shafia, Tooba Mohammad Yahya and Hamed Mohammad Shafia, respectively the Afghan parents and brother of three teenage girls and the woman they loved like a mother, had just been convicted of four counts each of first-degree murder moments earlier, according to Montreal Gazette. The visitors'' reference was a kind and graceful nod to Rona Amir Mohammad, Shafia's unacknowledged other wife and kINGSTON, Ont. - It was, as the shy prosecutor Gerard Laarhuis said outside the lovely old Frontenac County courthouse, a good day for Canadian justice.'' This verdict sends a very clear message about our Canadian values and the core principles in a free and democratic society that all Canadians enjoy, and even visitors to Canada enjoy,'' Laarhuis said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

President Barack Obama Dept: My father doesn't speak Spanish, Craig Romney announced to the crowd gathered in the parking lot outside Casa Marin restaurant, according to Montreal Gazette. Whatever his linguistic limitations, the former Massachusetts governor was telling his audience in English exactly what it wanted to hear - slamming a decision last year by President Barack Obama to liberalize U.S. policy toward Cuba. "Mi papa no H habla espanol." It was less apology than explanation, and it hardly mattered to the 200 mostly Cuban-American voters who had ventured out on a muggy South Florida afternoon to hear Mitt Romney make his pitch to be the 45th president of the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ammar Wahid Dept: On May 19, 2009, the leader of the Fatima Azzahra Mosque was set to marry Zainab Shafia to her boyfriend, Ammar Wahid. Her sisters, brother and mother were all present and had given their blessing. Mr. Shafia was absent and objected but agreed to allow the wedding to go ahead, according to the imam, according to Globe and Mail. Forty-one days later, the three sisters and Mr. Shafia s first wife were found at the bottom of the Rideau Canal. The imam wonders if the wedding, had it gone ahead, might have prevented the funeral. We re so sad for our innocent sisters killed by that murder, he said. It has been a shock to me and our community to hear such a cowardly, unforgiveable crime confirmed. When Mr. Wahid s family didn t show up because they objected, trouble started, according to Mr. Altaie. The Shafias were angry at the snub and called the wedding off. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.