Signal National Curriculum

                Pakistan is a multicultural and multilingual society comprising of four provinces, Sindh, Punjab, Balochstan ,KPK ,and  Gilgit Baltistan. It has a great strength due to cultural and linguistic diversity .these variations become easy targets for the exploitation of spoilers and enemies. However to address the socioeconomic grievances of these desperate factions and to bring them close together. The previous government had proposed a Single National Curriculum. This aims at forging unity integrity, and pluralism in the nation .An SNC is defined as a system of education that is fair and equal in terms of syllabus, medium of instruction, and method of assessment .It enables students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to receive high quality education. It is designed in such a way that it will be in line with the 21st century skills including analytical ,critical and creative thinking .It  is expected to bring religious pluralism ,freedom from colonial bias ,stability ,integrity and inclusiveness in society .It also has the potential to provide the youth with equal opportunities for upward social mobility irrespective of economic status ,nipping poverty and economic disparity in the bud. Yet it is a double edge sward, for its implementation has to crass   first being a severe reaction from the elite classes who do not want the status quo   to get dismantled. Among other issues associated with the SNC are the cultural and the provincial fault lines .which do not seem to permit it to become a source of national integration? Insufficient budget allocation and paucity if trained, efficient teaching staff are some of the barriers which will dilute the effectiveness of the SNC .The Introduction of SNC is aa positive step to bridge the gap between the desperate factions of Pakistan divided along socioeconomic and sectarian lines .But there remain some issues that it has not addressed instead, the gendered and non-inclusive content of the SNC has an aggravated these very issues .

Major objectives of SNC will be discussed in the following paragraph.

The proposed SNC   aims to achieve some lofty objectives for nation building .It is a system of education for all in terms of curriculum, means of education, and a common platform to forge social harmony and national unity, it gives rigorous and upgraded standards to create a sense of interaction between what is being taught in all school at a time, the teachers would have more freedom to teach the students, using their professional skills and experience. This will ensure the holistic development of child, leading to equal opportunities for growth in the future.

            The following paragraphs shall shed light on the prospects of the SNC for the state and society.

The SNC is the formula of holistic development of children which is in the line with the international standards and national aspirations. The is changing fast due to information technology and artificial intelligence .the students of this age require upgraded we see knowledge and skills to cater to their emerging needs .Educators ,business leaders ,academics and government agencies have ,therefore ,reached a global consensus about 21st century skills to equip the children with these skills  like  learning skills (critical thinking ,creativity, collaboration, communication) ,literacy skill (information, media ,technology) and life skills (flexibility , leadership , Initiative ,productivity ,social skills) .Therefore it can be hoped that the SNC will bring about the development of students to meet the 21st century demands .

It is hope that the SNC will bring national inter-gradation among the regional, provincial, and religious faction of our county in addition to the dividends it is expected to offer in the field of education .ion keeping with multicultural and multilingual Pakistani society. The SNC will inculcate national ethos among the children, making them considerable equal citizens .the 18th amendment divided the countries education provinces began to impart education in their regional languages, creating gapes among the people of state. The SNC aimed to transform the nation into a unified entity rooted in common morals and ethos. A separate set of courses with the tittle religious education has been developed for religious pluralism in which five major religions have been represented. Hence, SNC has been developed to encourage patriotism, global citizenship, human rights, peace and above all religious tolerance .This is how the SNC is a welcome step for the national integration of our diverse and sometime divergent society.

The SNC is the good omen for social cohesion. Since the early days of the emergence of Pakistan a divergent education system has been developed. The rich and upper class study in the expensive foreign education system while the middle and lower class people send their children to private schools and Urdu medium government schools .All these systems have quite different curriculum .Therefore, to bridge this gap between thesocio  -economic factions the SNC is  hope to bring harmony and equality in education.in addition SNC is immensely relevant to the needs of Pakistani youth is that it is harmonious with the vision of Quaid Azam , Alama Iqbal and constitution of Pakistan. According to the vision of founder, “there is an immediate and urgent need of giving technical and scientific education to our people in order to develop science, commerce, trade and industry. We should not forget that we have to compete with the world which is moving very fast in this direction,”

Some of the prospects of SNC have been discussed in the above paragraphs. The following paragraphs will delineate some imminent challenges the SNC is going to pose to the nation.

The SNC would have to stand the resistance from the elite class which used to have a highly effective education system. Their take about the SNC is that it is an attempt to ruin the standards of education in Pakistan. Therefore, the elite schools such as Aitcheson ,LGS ,Roots ,Bacon  and Bloomfield  have already  started the new academic year without implementing the SNC .The lack of uniformity in the application of SNC will further divide the country. Hence this stands as a challenge for the implementation of the SNC across the board.

Despite all the pledges made by politician and SNC designers about its potential to forge national integration, it does not seem a good recipe for national integration. The  erosion is that following the 18th amendment education is a provisional subject. The implementation of SNC, on the other hand, is against the essence of t the amendment. A sword of Damocles hangs over the 18th amendment .For example, the Sindh Government objected to implementing the SNC in their provinces. Education minister Sardar  Shah has remarked that Sindh would accept only good changes in science subjects .According t o him in social studies each province has its own history ,culture and heroes.... this  object erodes the national thing of SNC and stands as a challenge for the national integrity of the country.  

To top it all one curriculum could not achieve the same learning outcomes unless the students have the same teachers, school, infrastructure, and opportunities. Since the SNC aims to end the apartheid system of education ,first it will have to ensure that all students get a similar learning environment .only then can a good curriculum bring a positive change .In our county ,contrary to it, the teachers in government schools encourage students to try on rote memorization whereas ,in private schools ,.teachers are determined to stimulate project ,inquiry, and activity based learning among their students. These varying attitude of the students translate into different outcomes for the students irrespective of similar curricula taught at both places .Hence the paucity of effective teaching method and lack of efficient teacher is a challenge for the implementation of the SNC in letter and spirit.

The SNC aims to make a level playing field for all and do away WITH THE SOCIAL disparities people feel yet it seems that it would not bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Because, to bridge the gap, the government needs to introduce tax reforms, not education policies. Education policies only work when there is a sufficient budget allocation to education. Where the divergent fraction agree to the same set of rules and seek to deliver in a uniform way to their nation. Whereas in Pakistan, the implementation of constructive changes needs various challenges and no suggestion for the real solution. Such misunderstandings will end up disappointing scores of people who wish to see the ANC the bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.

To some up, the SNC is a double edge sward that encompasses both advantages and challenges. It has not been formulated following the pedagogical imperative of the development of a child’s cognitive skills to promote intellectual growth, social and economic productivity .Instead, it seems that it has been designed to further religious nationalism, homogenization and centralism. Hence, this seems to pay lip service to the idea of diversity, inclusion, and mutuality, but an SNC that is gender biased, sectarian, and class based will sharpen social differences, undermine minority religions and sects, and violate the principals of federalism. Despite this there are certain hopes to implementation of SNC. These include a commitment to ensure quality education based on the minimum standards of education applicable to all school systems. In addition the SNC will provide smooth inter provincial mobility to students and teachers to enjoy equal opportunities for upward social mobility. The launch of the SNC would have been a good step had some of the aforementioned factors been given to consideration. The literacy rate of Pakistan is extremely low as low as 57%.the education system of Pakistan system is more than 60 years behind the international standards .a diverse system exists because of multi ethnic societies and different social classes .Educations develops the roots of any nation. The strengthening of the roots of Pakistan as a nation depends upon its citizenry. Against this backdrop, an SNC will unify the segregated society, implement one and equal education system and similar curriculum to eliminate the discrimination among the people .it will be a little step toward the national integration.

                          

                                Role of Social Media in the changing world

 

The wheels of human society in every era are turned by some revolutionary technology Gerhard Lenski, an American anthropologist believed that new technologies and inventions are the agents of change in human society .When man learn the use of wheel and invented plough, the Agricultural Revolutionists set in.  When steam engine was invented, human society entered into the phase of industrialized human society. The revolutionary technology on the shoulders of which present human society functions is ICT are information and communication technology. One of the most integral logs in the wheel of ICT is social media. Social media can be categorize in various types .the most important type of it is these is social platforms like Face book, Twitter , the other type called social messaging apps like whatsapp ,Skype ,Imo ,weblogs ,V Logs  and open courses of  social websites such as Wikipedia and Wiki Leaks are also integral part of social web called social media. Social media is not a homogeneous, monolithic entity, it is rather a sum-total numerous websites which engages web community as a whole. During modern era social media is profoundly impacting every form of social relation, political, economic, social both positive and adversely. It is bringing about positive change in social relations enabling fast communication among friends, colleagues and relatives sitting thousand miles apart. Political relations are being transformed the common masses are becoming active participants in the political process through social media platforms. A completely aw new horizon of digital marketing has been opened up by social media in the field of economic .However ,at the flipside of the coin, social media is disrupting familial  and communal relationship, dehumanizing precious feelings of love and compassion through the modes of digital expressions such as Facebook likes .it is diluting between the boundaries between public and private life . Social media is therefore a sword that cuts both ways.

Social media is changing social relations in myriad of ways. It helps in rebuilding old relations. A common saying goes out of sight out of mind, relationships lose vitality and passions with distance. But social media brings people together and help them revitalizing their old relationships. Friends not only talk or chat with each other on such platforms but also share their pictures and videos. They also share documents, I interesting facts and jokes. According to an estimate by Duke University, today 32% new relationships are translated into real life relationships. It is an established fact that social media helps in building extensive social engages having a vast fried lists due to it.

Besides, social media has also brought down spatiotemporal boundaries between social relations. Now in the ager of social media we can deliver a message within a seconds. Now the world has become a global village through internet and social media. These are the compressing machines which have contracted the distances. Now everyone can contract his family free of cast by using it like whatsapp and Skype. Relatives cannot only talk to each other but can also see each other in the real-time. Verily, social media has shattered spatiotemporal bounties between social relations.

Like social relations, social media has also effected political relations. Conventionally in countries like Pakistan, women and youth are not given importance in the political decision making process. Women are excluded from the political process because they are considered weak and fragile while the youth is considered inexperienced. Social media changes these perceptions and has become mouthpiece to everyone. Now the voters are active stockholders. They need not only listen to their leader rather they make their own voices .For example a Documentary , “Al-maiden” gives us insight of popular uprising in Egypt to topple Husni Mubarak by arranging a small protest on social media.  In modern world political relations are not overseen only by men but also by other segments of the society due to social media and has made public relations also more vibrant and transparent.

Social media has not only transformed political relations but also economic relations. Economic relation is considered to be an exchange of capital, goods, or services of something of equal value. Internet and social media have removed the need of intermediary between the buyer and seller .now a buyer can directly post an aid on social media where anyone interested friend can buy that item. E commerce has now become popular on social media due to its multifaceted scope. Moreover.it has given rise to a new field called relationship marking which is about turning friends into customers and cultivating long term trust based relations with customers .foe example  Amazon always try to gain trust with their customers. According to the latest figure released by Facebook, more then 21% of Facebook users are engaged in similar relationship marking on Facebook .Social media is turning customer relationship into a dynamic economic activity and common relations into profitable relationship.

The details of positive changes brought about by social media have been thoroughly discussed in the above paragraphs and its adverse changes which will be elaborated in the following ones.

Firstly, social media is dehumanizing the social relations. If a relationship is a necklace, feelings of joy and sorrow are its beads and pearls. The necklace will be precious if pearls are genuine. Genuine exchange of love, hate and care make relationships precious. If expressions of such feelings is in the form of emoji’s’ and clicks, the warmth of relationship will remain unfelt. A sad emoji in comments can never sooth a sorrowful person in a manner a hug can. Today, relationships are not rooted in human feelings but clicks of computer buttons.

Secondly, social media has dissolved the distinction between the public and private relations of life. Privacy breach has become common in the age of social media. All one has to do to destroy others persons reputation is to hack his/ her social media account and share secrets with the world to fulfill political and economic pursuits.in addition, in the current scenario it is used for propaganda and spreading false news to create havoc and unrest in the society.to combat such malignant and false news the government can play its role through Cyber Regulation Act.

However, all is not gloom and doom, if social media is used positively it will bear positive results.it is a mill that grinds that whatever is put into its hopper. Therefore, it is always wise to put our love, compassion, goodwill, into it rather than putting hate, jealousy and ill will into it. We should maintain balance between our digital and real lives. We should not consider interactions on social media as a replacement for our daily life encounter because emotions cannot be converted it any other form. We must spare sometime for our loved ones. Social media heralds a new world which requires reformed and updated social relations. A myriad of human relation is being reformed by social media but few aspects are at risk to .it is the duty of man to use it responsibly. In a nutshell, social media is an elevator which may carry us and our relationships upwards and downwards. We have to decide which way we desire to go.

 


Rights of women in Islam

Islam is the divine religion which has rendered revolutionized status, dignity, equality and rebirth to women in all the sphere of life .The status of women before Islam regarded as dumb and pet animal or lifeless object of inheritance. She was either buried alive or kept as an article of decoration. As the Holy Quran clearly mentions in Surah Nisa (4; 1); “Oh mankind, have fear of your lord, the one who created you from a single soul, from that soul he created its mate, and through them he spread countless women and men” Both men and women are created from a single soul which shows how Islam has bestowed women and men both equally. Islam not only blessed women with status, but also define rights, categorizing feminine roles as d Draughters, mothers and w. Islam also stressed upon women’s rights to spiritual, social, economical, and political independence. This includes freedom of expression and security from persecution. Despite Islam being a silver lining in the dark clouds of oppression, Islamic countries show wavering in their determination about women’s rights now. Various factors play a decisive role which include: dominance of local and cultural practices and domination of patriarchy, exclusion of women from main social stream. For right steps, implementation of Islamic prescribed rights involve not only awareness campaign  on media but also constructive role of religious scholars supporting women in various fields through quota system, promulgation as well as implementation of laws to protect women rights. It is hope that this essay will help to increase awareness regarding recognition of the status of women, reducing misunderstanding about Islam and it is imperative to act upon the true essence of Islam.

In Pre Islamic period the Arabs had a wide spread of traditional acceptance of female infanticide .The birth of a female was a social stigma leading tribal customs of burning such female alive. However ,in post Islamic period the Holy Quran strictly prohibited this inhuman custom ,terminating it as murder. He holy prophet also guided the followers to protect girl’s lives and treat them fairly. The prophet said, “Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will enter him into paradise. Besides this, Islam advocates men and women have equal rights including education, rights and duties, food, security and social status.in this regard, the Hadith emphasis respect and kindness towards women stating, “the best among you are those who are best to their wives and whoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive, nor humiliates her, nor prefer his son over her, Allah will enter him into paradise.”

There is no difference between man and woman in regard to religion, belief and the practices in Islam. The five pillars of Islam belief, declaration of faith, Salah(Prayer),Hajj(pilgrimage to Makah), Zakah (alms given to the needy), Souum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan are considered mandatory for both male and female believers .Though certain conditions are given for women to be exempted from these duties. They can get punishment and reward as men according to their deeds .The more honorable and spiritual is the one in front of Allah who is more pious and la. This aspect is also mentioned in   Holy Quran regarding equal worth and dignity of both men and women in Sura ALahzab (33:35).

Regarding economic opportunities, Islam does not forbid women from taking part in economic activities. Islam gives a freehand to women to explode economic opportunities such as seeking an employment utilizing entrepreneurial activities and having equal salary equal to their male counter parts. For example In Islamic history Hazrat Khadija was a business women. To sum up, Islam blesses women the right to take part in every economic field and empower her in all regards.

Islam gives to women freedom of thought and expression, including the right to cast votes, contest elections, policy making or join active politics to develop leadership qualities in them. That’s why political right is their fundamental right in our religion .Prophet permitted women by saying “to nurse the injured and supply provisions to the soldiers at some battles.”

It is fair to say that no other religion or belief system has comprehensively ensured protection of rights of women. Whoever some factors have always hindered the implementation of these rights of women in the Islamic countries due to one or the other reasons. The factors responsible for this have been given below.

The first factor responsible for dominance of local and cultural practices. The rights and emancipation of women in an Islamic state surrendered to such dominating practices such as genital mutilation ,honor killing and child marriage .domination of patriarchal structure is also hampering  the implementation of rights of women  I some of the Islamic countries like  Saudi Arab, Afghanistan and some of The parts of Pakistan. These social evils are nothing with Islam but these are the native cultural practices which dominates the religious discourse.

  deliberate exclusion of women from the main stream is another factor responsible for making women rights exploitation. For Example, In Saudi Arabia, only 13% women are part of labor force, while only 12.6% are part of the parliament according to Gender Inequality Index. Similarly in Iran only 49% of the total women are part of the labor force, while 6% are part of the parliament .Interestingly ,despite the preaching of Islam prescribing equal status to men and women, Islamic countries counties to occupy the a lower position in the global Gender Gape Index. Afghanistan, for instance, tads at the last position in the report of 2017.Hence, exclusion of women obstructs the implementation of these rights.

Above motioned are the reasons of non-implementation of women rights in Islamic countries .To dispel this impression the following measures will prove helpful in the implementation of the rights of women in Islamic countries.

First of all, the masses are required to have an awareness of the rights of women according to the teachings of Islam .in this connection, the media platforms are important tools to spread this message and educate the masses. Similarly, apart from electronic media, newspapers can also publish articles, highlighting the plight of women in Islam. Hence, awareness through media is first step to address this issue .moreover, the religious scholars can also spread this message among public during Friday sermon, social gatherings at various platforms.

Secondly, quota system can play its role to implement women’s right to stipulated in Islam. Quota system means to reserve seats for the qualified and professional women. For instance, when quota system was introduced in Pakistan, it enable them to get 33% seats in the parliament. They are able to introduce acts to protect women rights as Work Place Anti-Harassment Act, Child Marriage Act, Honor Killing Act and Physical Abuse Act .Hence the Quota system not only provides a platforms for them to voice their concern, but also allows them to legislate to remove the factors hindering their progress.

In a nutshell, Islam blessed women with holistic rights   by increasing awareness regarding recognition of the status of women, minimizing misunderstanding about Islam. Islam not only bestowed women with status, but also define rights, leveling feminine roles as daughters, mothers and sisters. Islam also emphasized upon women’s rights in religious, social, financial, political and self-autonomy. Various reasons can play a decisive role including dominance of local and cultural practices, patriarchy, and exclusion of women from main social stream. To implement the true essence of Islamic teachings the   prescribed rights involve not only spreading conscious awareness through print and electronic media but also this could be possible through government, NGOS and religious scholars for the equal rights in all the sphere of life.

Online education: Benefits, issues and recommendation

Online education is beyond space and time for learning 

         The concept of online education involves courses offered by primary institutions that are purely virtual. These classes are offered over the internet through modern technology like computer, mobile, laptop and tablets. It is a development in distance education that expended in 1990s with the spread of commercial internet and World Wide Web. The vast majority of intuitions utilized learning management system (LMS) for online courses. As theories of distance education evolve digital technologies to support learning and pedagogy continue to transform as well. When the Covid-19 crises has taken the world by surprise due to disrupting transportation to halting economic growth by spreading havoc everywhere. The worst hit, however, the already vulnerable sector of education. To ameliorate the crises, online education played a decisive role, which, in other words, is online teacher-student interaction classroom content sharing .It has helped bring thousand s of out-of –school children back to schools through online means. Integration of technology and education has further improved the reliability of online education. It is more easier and asynchronous way as compare to traditional way of teaching. Yet, the evolution of education has not been without a challenge; there are a few issues associated with online education. These include non-universal nature of the internet and the lack of structured environment for online teaching and learning .In addition, there is an imminent threat that the hasty transition from traditional to online classes may backfire. Equally challenging is the non-serious attitudes towards its adaptation. To obviate issues in online education, international organizations must come forward to promote digital literacy. Similarly, resources must be provided for self-directed learning programs to assist more productively. In fact it is a double edge swards with both benefits and issues; however the holistic efforts to address the challenges will ameliorate the situation.

The forth coming paragraph will expand on the benefit online education.

The first benefit of online education is its pivotal role ion increasing student’s enrollment .online education mostly focuses on exclusive distance education. Therefore, children of far-fetched areas could continue their learning through this new medium .Acceding to National Center for educational Statistics, “currently more than 6 million students are enrolled in online classes as part of their higher education program.” Such enormous enrollments give hope that there will a considerable decrease in the number of out of school children. Hence it could be stated that online education has helped to increase the number of students back to school.

Another benefit of education is its reliability .this reliability has compelled a major portion of population to switch to online education. People are showing more trust in online education now as compare to the past. As per survey conducted by National Centre for Educational Statistics 85% students think that online learning is the same or better than traditional classroom experience. The students growing tilt and trust in online education.

Equally important is the positive integration of technology and education .It goes to the credit of online education that it has led to the integration of technology and education to meet the needs of the contemporary world .such an integration will be accelerated through online education. It is a change in a way of teaching with multiple benefits of education.

          Online education also provides conducive means of education as compare to rational one .with the advancement of technology online education has become easier and more uniform without any disruption.in addition, it removes the chance of corporal punishment, classroom bulling and teaching intimidation and psychological pressure like exam phobia, and fatigue. This feature of online education obviously, has positive impact on overall educational landscape.

Also, the provision of a flexible learning schedule is another boon of online education based on the concept of asynchronous classes that means to record, upload and let students do everything in different time zones out of the bond of scheduling. It facilitates candidates providing them timetable of their own choice that’s why it is possible anywhere, anyplace and at any time. Similarly it provides uniform learning opportunities due to its facilitation features.

The aforementioned paragraphs have described the benefit of  education and the upcoming paragraphs will construe the dark side of online education.

The first issue of online education is the non-universal nature of the internet.it is not available in every place which disrupts the universal provision of online education. Though there are some western countries like Switzerland, Australia and Norway where 95% of students have got internet excess whereas the least developed and developing countries have only 345 students have access to it. Therefore, the first issue is of non-availability of uniform internet.

Along with the lack of internet, the lack of structured environment is another problem for online education. Proper online setup is prerequisite for smooth learning .Moreover, it is dotted with many destructive advertisements and appealing contents which divert student’s attention .Therefore, the lack of proper and disciplined environment is another challenge of online education.

Equally challenging is the hasty transition from tradition to online education .All processes require forethought and professional training .However, before switching to online education none of the above was exercised. There is an imminent threat that it will backfire or that online education will not deliver. Untrained faculty and students will not be able to go easy with digital technology. Consequently, it will be nothing more than poor substitute for traditional education.

The non-seriousness of few states concerning the transition to online education is another problem. Though many western countries have successfully switched to online education, the developing countries are still struggling .According to World Bank report 2021 one in three countries in not taking action to ensure education, and as per the same report 43% countries did not increase education budget for 2020.Such irresponsible behavior deteriorates the issue of the successful transition to online education.

The preceding paragraphs have outlined the issue in online education .the following   paragraphs will shed some lights on the way forward to make online education better.

The foremost step towards ameliorating online education is the positive role of International organizations. For many years these organization spreading light of education across the world to increase the literacy rate of many countries. For instance UN, UNESCO, UNICEF and World Bank sponsored many illiteracy eradication programs to remove ignorance and poverty. This is how these organizations are playing their key role in spreading online education facilities worldwide.

The promotion of digital literacy can play a healing role in uplifting an online education in addition to all other mandatory steps. The essence of online education is digital literacy –the use of gadgets, internet devices, and other devices. Teachers must provide guidelines to focus on female digital literacy where needed. This could decrease the drop out ratio of female students and cope up all the issues linked with online education.

Self-directed learning content will assist online education more productively as it provides a variety of options. It will be more reliable for candidates who have difficulty in attending live classes .they can join online classes more easily from the comfort of their homes and with the pace of their own choice. For example, Khan Academy is reliable platform for self-directed learning .in Addition, MIT open online course are also an appealing platform to procure degrees free of cost. Briefly, self-directed learning content will provide more reliable to the online classes for the students who can’t go with the live classes.

In conclusion, online education has both merits and demerits; however, the problems can be mitigated to make it more effective by providing alternative ways. It has provided opportunities enhance enrollment of the children of remote areas to continue education. But some areas where it has faced challenges. The non-availability of internet along with the digital illiteracy of students and teachers have not given chance to deliver with its true spirit and   lack of proper discipline environment. Thus remedial measures such as improving digital literacy, better content and guidelines mechanisms will help both private and government students to achieve their dreams through online education.

 

                                                    A complete essay on Islamophobia

Image of Islam in the west

        How the west reacts to the presence of Muslims and their belief? Is Islam causing phobic sentiments, or spreading hatred among the westerns? Has the west really become obsessed with Islam, leading to Islamophobia? The Gallup report of 2011 and after 9/11 incident are showing anti -Islam rant and anti-Muslim prejudice in the west. Islamophobia refers to the irrational fear, hostility, prejudice, discrimination, or hatred directed towards Islam, Muslims, or Islamic culture. As Islam is the divine religion and its teachings are universal brotherhood, peace and harmony but the ways in which westerns have seen Muslims and Islam is largely through orientalist lenses, showing the western construction of non- western cultures as according to Edward Said’s words “alien, backward, uncivilized and passive”. Consequently, the west has identified a new enemy in the form of radical Islam, stereotyping of Islam to see Muslims as  fundamentalists and terrorists additionally, Islam is viewed against the emancipation of women, intolerant to other religions, and a threat to western values, also orthodox mindset, sectarianism, human rights violation and some other fall-outs associated with Islam in the west. These negative connotations associated with Islam are not coincident, but a highly organized and strategic propaganda for specific political gains .incidences of the few zealots should not be confused with the belief of the majority. To combat this phenomenon, clergy and the OIC must play their role to end false preconceived notions regarding Islam, along with commencement of interfaith dialogues and cultural exchange programs. This piece after elucidating contemporary image building about Islam in the west, is going to shed light on the causes and consequences of the prevalent anti-Muslim stances followed by recommendation to combat this phenomenon.

     First, the west falsely accuses Islam of spreading the global terrorism after 9/11 WTC attacks, Now Islam is facing blame, unmanageable social security. In addition to this the rise of Al-Qaida, the Taliban and extremist jihadists have further reinforced the western view about Islam that’s why Muslim Uma is facing problems.

                 The western views about Islam having fundamentalist beliefs is the second important factor. in fact, three major events in the Islamic world; Khimonies Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979, Siege of the grant mosque of Macka by hundreds of fundamentalists and USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan which lead the creation of Taliban. All these events have a common message; radical Islam with its fundamentalists beliefs is providing such a force for the west to confront in the future. Westerns claim that Muslim fundamentalism was and has been a threat, since it represents terrorism, religious fanaticism, and exploitation of social and economic justice. Thus the western perception about Muslim has a negative perception.

   Third, the west also built their narratives that Islam encourages orthodoxy. They argue that Muslims are averse to modernity and reforms, supposing that Islam does not support adaptation to the modern dynamics. However, Islam continuously accepts adaptation to the new dynamics through the concepts of Ijtihat and Ijma. Hence, the western concept about Islamic orthodoxy is their false notion.

    The western opinion that Islamic teachings prohibit the emancipation of women is their forth logic .They point to the compulsory veiling in some Islamic states such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan with some restrictions women face when getting education or working in the field. Mallala Yousifzai, a social activist of education, is considered a victim of terror in her quest for education. In addition, Pakistan is the second worst county in the world in terms of gender parity, ranking at 148 out of 149 countries as per Global Gender Gap Index 2018 report released by World Economic Form. Adding further fuel to the fire, contribution of women in the global social-economic sphere is also minimum, therefore, the west views Islam as an anti-feminine belief.

      The fifth factor that the west also thinks that Islam is intolerant towards other faiths. This prejudice is based on the misconception about its conception of Jihad. The western scholars and media accuse Islam of waging jihad against the infidels for spreading Islam by force and majority of them believe that behind proliferation of Islam were holy wars against the non- believers. This seems wrong understanding of history or misinterpretation of historical texts. Actually Islam legitimizes jihad only in defense as the true meaning of jihad is struggle and in truth Islam has spread by pen not by sword.

     Following the explanation of some reasons of western perspective about Islam and some factors causing these perspective have been analyzed below.

      To begin with Orientalism is the major cause of anti-Muslim sentiments in the west as their endeavors started portray Islam from their exaggerated and distorted view of eastern people, especially Arab Muslim. Edward Said, in his book Orientalism, explains how this concept evolves through cultural domination of the orient for the justification of colonization project. Hence it is the major factor casting Islam in such a negative light in the west.

       Besides this, deteriorating bond of Muslim Brotherhood is another major contributor to the western narrow minded anti-Islamic view. The Islamic world is facing political and religious issues. Politically, it is divided into two blocks; westerners and conservatives. The pro west block is keen to implement western political order, whereas the opposite one intends to adopt Islamic political system. Religiously Shia, Sunni division is another course of disunity and conflict, especially, in Middle East region. This utterly chaotic situation further distorts the image of Islam in the western minds.

      Along with all these, media is another contributor to anti-Islamic bigotry. Stereotyping and misconception due to prejudice and ignorance have played a critical role in the cultural production of Islamic knowledge. Western media shows the anti-Islamic notion of the people like showing caricatures and cartoons of religious figures and burning of national flags and holy books again deteriorates interfaith harmony and international peace.

      Orientalism, deterioration of Muslim brotherhood and social media are some factors causing anti-Muslim westerns behavior .To address these sentiments against the followers of Islam and to portray the true image of Islam in the west following are some recommendations  which might alleviate Islamophobia and Xenophobia in the west.

   The first recommendation is that the gape between theory and practice of Islamic values; tolerance, forgiveness, kindness, honesty, sacrifice, and brotherhood. If we practically follow these Islamic values with true spirit then we can convey the soft image of Islam to the west. Hence, actions speaks louder than words.

   The second is clergy need to bridge the gap among Muslim countries internally and other nations externally to bring the true face of Islam. In addition, the challenges of sectarianism, nationalism, secularism can be overcome by scholars’ lectures through developing right perspectives among inter faith dialogue. In this regard, it is responsibility of the OIC office that can play its role in combating islamo phobia through conferences and social media.

      Lastly, cultural exchange programs can also help change the negative image of Islam in the west. The Middle East Study Association (MESA) is a private organization is trying to bring scholars, educators, and academics together to counter anti-Muslim discourse. As Huxly said in a conference on  Islam, “to travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries” it means that cultural integrated projects can help people come to know each other by personal interaction instead of media and literature.in this way we can create religious and cultural harmony among different communities .

    In a nutshell, the Muslim world is facing internal and external challenges. Externally, the most pervasive challenge is the negative image of the Islam in the west. Anti-Islamic thoughts like terrorism, intolerance, are growing swiftly day by day in the west due to highly organized and systematic way for political purposes by the orientalists. Many European counties create problems for Muslim women about veil and scarf at public places .Media is also propagating misconception about Islam through false clichés. At this critical situation Muslims should live behind personal differences and work collectively to educate the west about the true values of Islam because Islam is the religion of peace, prosperity and mutual harmony. Muslims are the ambassadors of Islam.  They should speak openly and frankly what is the interpretation and true essence of Islam. Islam teaches us to respect religious pluralism and diversity. In this way, we can communicate our message of Islam to the west that Islam is the best religion in the world.

 

                                    Global warming and our preparation to counter it

According to recent NASA analysis, the average surface temperature has risen about 1.62F (0.9C Celsius) since the late 19th century, while the resultant sea level has risen close to 8 inches. Both these trends and other such environmental issues are caused by climate change. Climate change refers to long term shift in temperatures and weather patterns. The earth is the greatest blessing of Allah Almighty. It is the only planet revolving around the sun which supports life because of its favorable temperature, resources and other physical conditions .The temperature of the earth is increasing day by day because of human activities and natural calamities. Unfortunately, due to anthropocentric activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, excessive industrialization, emission of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCS), application of nitrogen fertilizers and others are polluting the atmosphere with toxic gases. These gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapors (H2O), ozone (O3) and methane (CH4). They are termed as greenhouse gases (GHG). Some of the outgoing radiations are observed by these gases. The dilemma began when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere artificially increases. As of 2004, over 8 million tons of carbon dioxide inclusion in the atmosphere has increased the temperature .Today this amount of carbon dioxide has increased to 400 ppm. Though all the countries emit greenhouse gases, industrial and populous countries like the United States, India and china are the major contributors. Whereas our country is concern, it contributes only 0.3 4 percent to global greenhouse gases but suffers more than its share. Various human activities, causing global warming, need to be curtailed seeing the serious consequences of this menace, which not only needs global initiatives but also individual measures to counter it.

            To begin with, inordinate deforestation is one of the major reason of the climate change .In fact forests acts as carbon skins. They observe the excessive carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, due to excessive uses of woods, human begins have been cutting down forest for many years. In short, deforestation is causing climate change/ global warming more than in any other human activity.

                Industrial revolution in developed countries have also produced fluoridated gases at massive level which are again disturbing the natural composition of the atmosphere. It has led to the exponential growth in the emission of GHS. For example, industries such as manufacturing plants, power stations, transportation fuels, and waste disposal have a huge share in it.

            The desire for enhancing products the use of chemical fertilizers and machinery is causing climate change/global warming. The drive that led to this huge use of fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides is to produce more food than before for the huge populations food requirements. According to Joe Faiman the ozone level decrease over Antarctica. Thus farmers are forced to use such chemicals which are causing increase in temperature.

              Still, another reason is the life facilitating gadgets like refrigerators and air conditioners which are the source of the emission of chlorofluorocarbons containing inorganic chlorine results in decomposition in atmospheres. In addition to it, aerosol is the form of mist, fog and smog, solid particles or liquid droplets which observe solar radiations as well as alter the micro physical and chemical properties. These are the main sources of increasing temperature in the atmosphere.

              Besides these, ozone depletion is another striking factor for climate change/ global warming. When ozone molecules absorb harmful ultra violet radiations they actually prevent to reach the earth. However, chlorine containing gases are destroying the chemical makeup of ozone molecules resulting in the destruction of this protective layer. Therefore, it ultimately, razes the temperature of the earth. Some of the above mentioned human activities are also causing ozone depletion and making it happen faster than expected.

                 Putting it concisely, most of the human activities done consciously or unconsciously are increasing greenhouse gases emissions raising the temperature level and sea level. There are some of the consequences in regard to above mentioned causes which are as mentioned below.

       The major disaster that is the melting of polar ice, glaciers, and ice sheets. According to the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) about one sixth of the total population of the world lives in the regions which shall face direct impact of this melting ice . One of the most dramatic effect of the global warming is the reduction in the Arctic Sea Ice, hitting record low in both the fall and winters of 2015 and 2016. The extent of damage can be analyzed from the fact that Glacier National park in Montana had 150 glaciers in late 1800 but now it has only 26 left.

            The second consequence is the death of marine life. If the level of carbon dioxide acidification of oceans increases, it also increases oceanic circulation. This causes difficulty to the marine creatures in breathing and ultimately leading to their death. Various mysterious death of whales have been reported in some areas of Australia. In other words, the increase of carbon dioxide in the environment is playing havoc with the oceanic climate.

            The occurrence of frequent climatic disasters is the third major result is the global climate change. Changing precipitation patterns and prolong heat duration result in the droughts, which causes forest fires. The study predicted an 85 percent chance of droughts in the region by 2100. Extreme weather condition, such as, heat waves, droughts, blizzards and rainstorms are expected to overwhelm physical infrastructure and human communities, playing damage with life and property.

            The Fourth important result is the access of the sun’s ultraviolet rays to the earth. These radiations are raising the temperature of our planet which effects the health of living beings. Excessive heat has led to increase stress level, heart diseases, blood pressure, and skin cancer.

            Lastly, combine impacts of droughts, severe weather lack of accumulated snow melt, use of insecticides and pesticides, and lose of arable land could cause severe crop failure and livestock shortages  which has created havoc in food shortages, famines, political instabilities and civil unrest in different parts of the world.

              To meet the challenge, following measures need to be taken on national and global to reduce these issues and curtail its impacts. Some of   these measures are here to be considered.

        New forests should be planted to trap the excessive environmental carbon dioxide globally. In this regard, to mitigate the impact of global warming the federal government has already taken a number of initiatives one of which is Green Pakistan. Under this program Pakistan is going to expand its forests through ten billion Tsunami, a plantation drive during the next five years .In this way we can save the world from droughts and environmental pollution.

            The net measure is, Commercial companies need to create commercial viable nuclear fusion energy power plants. It is because, it creates zero green gas emissions .Stephan Hawkan said in 2010,” I would like nuclear fusion to become a practical power source. It would provide an inexhaustible energy, without pollution or global warming.

            Furthermore, non-renewable energy sources like coal, oil and natural gas must be replaced with renewable energy sources such as wind, hydel, and solar energy. Efforts must be made to obtain maximum amount of bio fuel from organic waste. Government and NGOs can play a vital role by motivating the people to shift alternative source of energy rather than traditional ones.

            Besides this, petrol cars must be replaced by electric cars in order to minimize the emission of fossil fuels. If some of these majors are adopted there are chance of reduction in the quantity of greenhouse gases .keeping in view this whole scenario of global warming it is certain that the earth is going to lose its stability, grace and beauty mainly due to anthropogenic activities.

            To conclude this argument, it is fair to state that it is high time that man must realize the alarming situation of his planet and think deeply to save it for his survival as well as his future generation. Global warming would increase the number of people suffering from death, diseases and injuries from heat waves, floods, storms and droughts.it is in man’s hands to ensure weather the air which he is inhaling, has to be clean or polluted to curb global warming and drastic climate change .certain measures need to be taken, no matter how difficult they may seem. A vast majority remains unaware of the potential hazards of damage to environment therefor states should intervene and actively perceive not only tree plantation but also to the implementation of other environmental protection laws .Medina , NGOs and UNO can come forward to spread awareness among the masses  about global warming .in addition to this ,reduction green gas emission requires the participation of industrial countries ,too ,who are major contributors to these gases .Despite country to country measures it is yet to be seen how national and international measures are going to save our planet . As the US president Obama highlighted this issue by saying;

“No challenge poses a great threat to future generations than climate change.”             


Classrooms Decides the Future of a Nation

The famous Chinese quotation on education is, “if you are thinking a year ahead, plant a seed. If you are thinking a decade ahead plant a tree. If you are thinking a century ahead, educate the people”. it is true that to have a better tomorrow for the nation, one has to start working on the building blocks; the children .If they are trained to be the best, they will form the best nation and reluctantly the best county. Just have a look at the countries investing in their educational systems intelligently. They are on the top in the world in every field. America which spends 4.9% of GDP on education, while Germany spends 5%. To have a bright future, the classrooms must impart the quality education to the students whereas a classroom in a developing counters is just a shabby room, the same room in the developed countries presents the scene of science fiction. That’s  why the product of those laboratories have built nations reaching the Mars, while overburdened and traditionally taught students continue to grapple with the thinking to decide their future course of  action for themselves ,let alone their whole nation. The reason is that the orthodox pedagogy not only stifle the souls of the students but also kills their curiosity, making them robotic assemble line workers and not creative thinkers. The main alignment starting from the classrooms, push a country to the abysses from where the same generation can never pull it out. In fact  a classroom is  not just  a teaching room; it is a grooming room where teachers groom future leaders ,soldiers ,professors ,bureaucratic  and also produce the academic language that spreads in the country through the generations taught in the same classroom. The students learn not only professional skills but also thinking skills, changing the very social culture that they find deficient to meet the modern requirements .Also a classroom is the place that injects social and moral values in them, Minimizing the terrorism and extremism and uplifting the economy of the country by providing students with critical policy and decision making skills. It means more the resources we spent, better the classrooms become, and vice versa can cause unimaginable repercussions for the entire nation, including bleak future of the coming generation .However , meager resources not only produce poor quality teachers and students ,but also lead to outdated curriculum, and traditional teaching methodologies .The only solution lies in ameliorating the solutions ,conducting updated teaching training courses and designing meticulous policies ,enrollment of maximum students and creation of awareness’s about the role of education ,and its impact on lives would ,though ,prove beneficial in the loge. Hence, throwing light on education the classrooms and their roles in the development of a nation will demonstrate how the classrooms decide the future of the nations, and show some remedial measures can better the classrooms as well as the nation.

A good classroom can impart quality education which means holistic pedagogy of Bloom’s taxonomic skills of cognitive, effective and psycho motor domain in education. Such classrooms use collaborative learning that makes students learn social skills and critical thinking .Innovation societies are the product of students taught in such collaborative laboratories and they become not only doctors, engineers, teachers, scientist and soldiers but also the best ones in their professions. That’s how students taught with modern technology and methodology help in building future generations .Therefore quality education in a classroom is the first requisite for the progress and prosperity of a nation.

Updated education system is another prerequisite for the country. The education system is a demonstration of a societies desires to make progress .A comparative study of education systems of developed and undeveloped countries highlights an astounding fact, the difference not only on classrooms but also pedagogy and pedagogical methodologies .Develop countries such as America, England, and japan spend a huge budgets on education system. They have student centered classrooms where practical ways of teaching make the mark. But the undeveloped counties like Congo, Afghanistan, and Pakistan ignore contribution to education. Where classrooms are teacher centered and teaching methodologies out dated .According to UNESCO report 2018, about 262 million children globally out of schools highlight another harrowing reality. These disheartening facts demonstrate that there is something wrong about the education system prevalent in the classrooms. Hence the comparative analysis of the education systems brings to light the real flaw in the education systems in underdeveloped countries.

Likewise the classroom also play a direct role in the formation of a healthy society. Health is directly related to human habits, lifestyle and the environment in which the people live. Michal Anta by a business guru, in his book Manufacturing Morals: The Values of Silence in Business Schools, arguers that school is the best place to manufacture moral of the students .that’s why sociologist around the world are  in union about the fact that  classrooms are primarily responsible for all virtues and vices prevalent in a society. A society riddled with corruption, crime, drugs, etc. does nothing except portraying the poor performance of the classrooms. Development of china and japan owes a lot to Chinese and Japanizes classrooms. A popular former American president Roosevelt has concisely stated that, “ a man who has never been to school may steal from a freight car “ and he has been right in his assessment ,for countries having more students out of classrooms have produced the most notorious criminals. To sum up classrooms are the gardens for planting the values in the youth a nation which later turned into a healthy nation.

In Addition, to providing moral lessons to the students, classrooms are also the places used to equip students with modern skills. Modern schools are characterized by vocational training where students learn skills according to social requirements. Therefore, enrichment of skills in students will prove a helping hand to directly boost the economy of a nation as well. Reluctantly, kills development in the classrooms will directly impact the progress and prosperity of a nation.

            The above paragraphs discuss the capabilities of the classroom to shape the future of a nation. Classrooms are nurseries that grow the best plants. However, there are some remedies for the classrooms to respond effectively to the development of a nation.

The first step is the formulation of meticulous and practicable policy. A government needs to realize the importance of education and deciding the future of a nation. Its core responsibility to place education at the top in its priority list. Government should device short term, medium term, and long term plan to get desirable objective of the education. Hence implementation of reforms, with innovative policies helps to the classrooms in creating better future of the nation.

In addition to it, awareness about education is another remedial measure. When people know about the real purpose of education they send their children to the schools. Now the world has become a global village, the citizens must have an awareness about the role of education in the country.in short, awareness of the importance of education itself is an effective policy.

            Finally, enrollment of more students is crucial to set up working classrooms, for a classrooms is not a classroom when there are no students developed countries have achieved 100% primary school enrollment that’s the reason that they are the biggest economies of the world.to conclude it, more school going children means more bustling classrooms and good classroom means a good work force for the future.

            In a nutshell, it is fair to state that the act of sowing seeds of quality education today will surely bring the best harvest of development tomorrow. It is need of the time that we should streamline the available resources of the budget, teachers ,students and schools to transform the classrooms’ will be ,then, easy to hook out of the school children, and turn those schools into laboratories  for those students where they can easily lean and implement and practice their knowledge. The quality of leadership will improve with these students having pruned personas, entering the markets and professional fields. Also money allocated to the allocation, technological uplift and training of teachers will strengthen the foundation of the classrooms, and reluctant of the society. It is therefore right to state that it is neither economy, nor any other social sector, but education in the classrooms that decides the future of a nation. As a famous philosopher said, “education is our passport to the future for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”