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News Without Borders 123 October 16, 2015 Volume 1 News Without Borders St. John’s University: The Language Connection • Syrian Syrian Refugees: A Snapshot of the Crisis in the Refugees: A Snapshot of the Middle East and Europe Crisis in the by Enas Asiri Middle East and Europe This spring inspired Syrians to Turkish beach. Aylan, his mother and become free from the Assad his five year old brother were trying regime. With peaceful to reach a Greek island when they • Benefits of demonstrations the Syrians drowned. They were in boats and Meditation: an wanted peace, freedom and good suddenly the vessels capsized. Their Ancient Form of living. Although Syria is rich in father, Abdullah, survived. The father natural resources, it is a very said, “My wife is my world and I Healing Who are the Syrian poor country. President Assad have nothing, by God. I don't even refugees? responded to them by torturing, think of getting married again or killing, and shooting at having more kids. ... I am choking, I • Celebrating Imagine that your country has protesters. This situation cannot breathe. They died in my Eid al-Adha a war with itself for five developed into civil war. And arms." The reporter, Bouckaert, was years. Imagine that for five now Syria is divided by three among many who shared the photo of years you don’t have clean occupiers: the regime, rebel Aylan Kurdi on Twitter. "What really water, electricity and even a fighters, and Islamic extremists. touched me were the little sneakers," home. Because of that more • The Annual The war is still raging today. he says. "I'm a father of two boys than four million refugees of Hajj Pilgrimage: myself. ... I realized that his parents the Syrian Civil War have left Now Syrians must be aware that had dressed him that morning for a FAQs for the country during the course there are long-term challenges very difficult journey." American of the war. Most of them went and the war will take time, Students to their neighbors: Turkey, maybe five years more. It is How can you help them? Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. possible that they will not return The most significant Refugees need food, clothing, health to their country again. assistance, shelter, and basic population was in Turkey household and hygiene items. They with 1,805,255 according to UNHCR. need reliable supplies of clean water, as well as sanitation facilities. They’ll need warm clothing, heaters, and heating fuel to get through the coming winter months. Children need a safe, protective environment and a chance to play and go to school. Adults need Who are the most vulnerable? employment options in case of long- term displacement. There are many His name is Aylan. He was three NGOs out there to help. You can years old. This heartbreaking Why are they leaving? What donate money or clothes and anything picture of a Syrian child challenges do they have? you want. There are Doctors without reverberated across the globe. He Borders, Save the Children and Syrian conflict started back in was in a red T-shirt and blue UNICEF. 2011, after the Arab spring in shorts and found face-down on a Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. 1 123 Benefits of Meditation: An Ancient Form of Healing by Wasmiah Alajmi Meditation: It is an ancient keeping the mind focused over, until you silence the form of healing, which is and relaxed, calmed down mind and enter a deep defined as a state of and with a sense of peace. meditative state, such as, profound, deep peace that repeating the word peace, occurs when the mind is How can you get started? calm, or silence; you can completely alert. choose anything as long as it The first step in preparing to is easy to remember. Do a There are both mental and meditate is to choose a body scan; close your eyes physical benefits of peaceful environment, wear and pick a starting point on meditation. comfortable clothes and take your body, usually the toes. off your shoes. Decide how Concentrate on whatever Physical benefits of long you want to meditate; sensations you can feel in meditation: Increases energy minimize any tension or your toes, and make a level as you gain an inner tightness before you begin conscious effort to relax any source of energy, reduces by stretching because it helps contracted muscles and blood pressure, pain, and flu loosen you up and prepare release any tension or symptoms, and improves both your body and mind for tightness. Once the toes are fully relaxed, move on to immune system. meditation. It is very your feet and repeat the important to sit in a Mental benefits of relaxation process. Continue comfortable position when meditation: Decreases along your body moving you meditate. Close your anxiety, increases creativity upwards from your feet to eyes especially if you are a your head. Once you have and happiness, improves beginner so it helps you to completed the relaxation of emotional stability, develops avoid distractions and each individual body part, intuition, improves clarity external visualizations, and focus on your body as a and peace of mind, and keeps you more focused. whole and enjoy the reduces problems. Now you are perfectly sensation of calmness and looseness you have achieved. prepared. Meditation sharpens and Meditation has a lot of expands the mind through The second step is to benefits. Try to start with one focus and relaxation. practice meditation. First, minute until you get to There are different forms of follow your breathing; become aware of the rising twenty minutes as the meditation. The common and falling of your abdomen meditators recommend. two forms are: sitting as you breathe in and out. quietly, or repeating a word Clear your mind. Second, or phrase. repeat a mantra (a sound, , word or phrase) over and But the goal is still the same, 2 123 Celebrating Eid Al-Adha by Marwah Khalifah Eid al-Adha is one of the biggest Al-Adha begins with a Sunnah holidays for Muslims. Our celebration prayer of two bowings (rakats) starts after the descent of the Hujjaj followed by a sermon (khutbah). (people who made the Hajj) from After that, every Muslim family Mount Arafat, a hill east of Mecca. must have a goat or a lamb to prepare for slaughter on the same It is also the memory of the story of day of Eid. Next, we prepare a big Abraham when he wanted to sacrifice meal of breakfast and special food his son Ishmael in response to God's and meet parents and relatives and command. So the Muslims exchange greetings. The families approached God on this day to invite each other and they visit sacrifice a sheep, cow or camel. They family members and relatives. They distributed the animals to relatives give them sweets, gifts and money and also to the poor and their and we give children a lot of sweets families. and gifts. In Arabic dahia is the word for the This year there is great news. For the sacrificed animal. For this reason we first time New York City has made called it Eid al-Adha. our Eids school holidays, so all NYC Eid al-Adha occurs on the 10th day of public school children can enjoy this Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for three days. It is always on the same day of the wonderful Muslim tradition. Islamic calendar. Muslims all over the world celebrate and begin the celebrations washing and wearing new clothes and using perfume. They also go to the mosque to pray the Eid prayer after sunrise. 3 Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It is important because Muslim’s celebrate this month to give thanks to God for everything He gives us. EastThe Annual Hajj Pilgrimage: FAQs for Village American Students by Mustafa Khalifah Where do people go to Hajj? Millions of Muslims travel from around the world to the holy city Mecca-Saudi Arabia to complete the Hajj. During this time, Mecca’s population grows from 2 million to 4 million. What is Hajj? The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca takes place in the last month of the year in the Muslim calendar. All Muslims are expected to make it at least once during their lifetime. This important trip can be taken alone or with family. When is Hajj? Annually the Hajj takes place from the 8th to the 12th of Zul-Hijjah which is the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar.This year Hajj 2015 took place from September 20th to 25th. Why do Muslims do Hajj? Every year, millions of Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, fulfilling one of the five pillars of Islam. The other pillars are the word of Tawheed, Pray, Zakah (the rich give money to the poor) and Fasting. Who go to Hajj? All Muslims when they are at least 15 years old can go to Hajj because it is required if they can. 4 123 Editorial Staff Sultan Aljarboua has been Although this is the third time Wasmiah Alajmi, a Saudi studying at St. John’s visiting New York, it’s her first Arabian, graduated from University Manhattan since time studying here. Her goal in Mustafa Khalifah is studying high school in 2013. She January 2015. He worked in life is to make the world a English at St. John’s studied one year at the two telecom companies better place to live in. University. He is from Saudi University of Dammam, Arabia and this is his first trip to starting in customer service Marwah Khalifah is studying then she got a scholarship in the Saudi Telecom N.Y.
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