| September 08, 2008 | Monday | Ramazan 07, 1429 |
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The equivalence policy
A month of blissful unawareness
Curriculum on ethics
Violation of Pakistan’s territory
Dwindling victoria carts
Burying women alive
Brutal democracy
Fatal friends
Political game
Standard of education
Adjusting time
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
IN his article, ‘Arundhati Roy and the K-word’ (Sept 3 ), Rahul Singh has talked of India’s famous writer and rights activist, Arundhati Roy, having become a pain in the neck, although he fires the gun from “some Indians’” shoulders by not explicitly owning this characterisation himself.
He then cites Ms Roy from the cover story of India’s Outlook newsmagazine: “After 18 years of administering a military occupation (actually 60 years), the Indian government’s worst nightmare has come true. For all these years the Indian state has done everything it can to subvert, suppress, represent, misrepresent, discredit, interpret, intimidate, purchase — and simply snuff out the voice of the Kashmir people. It has used money…, violence…, disinformation, propaganda, torture, elaborate networks of collaborators and informers, terror, imprisonment, blackmail and rigged elections to subdue what democrats would call the will of the people.”
Having noted that, Mr Singh then goes on to counter her argument in favour of giving ‘azaadi’ (freedom) to the Kashmiris by saying that in the 1960s there also had been a secessionist movement in Tamil Nadu but they were voted into power and became moderates. Also, that no Indian government would risk its political future by giving independence to Kashmir. Is the continuation in power of some politicians more important than saving 50,000 or more lives lost in Kashmir, that could have been saved?
The status of Tamil Nadu was not in dispute from 1947, while Hyderabad and Junagadh were forcibly occupied by India under the pretext that the majority of their population was Hindu, but didn’t use the same argument for Kashmir, where the majority is Muslim.
It is time the Indians heeded Ms Roy’s profound observation that India needs ‘azaadi’ from Kashmir just as much as — if not more than — Kashmir needs ‘azaadi’ from India. It’s been said, “Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again…./ But Error, wounded, writhes in pain….”
It is time the rulers in New Delhi gave up the farce of Kashmir being India’s ‘atoot ang’ (inseparable part) and freed themselves from self-inflicted pain and the long-suffering Kashmiris from needless torment.
In her perceptive report, “Peaceful protests in Kashmir alter equation for India,” American writer Emily Wax has written (Aug 30): “But the non-violet movement in Kashmir has won over many in India’s intellectual class. And in New Delhi… public opinion on the issue of Kashmir has been mixed for the first time in decades.”
She has also quoted from a column in the Hindustan Times, “Why are we still hanging on to Kashmir if the Kashmiris don’t want to have anything to do with us? The answer is machismo.”
It could hardly be put better than what, ironically, India’s own intellectuals like Arundhati Roy and the above-mentioned columnist have said. This time, the India’s bluff has been fully and finally called that the decades-long uprising in Kashmir is all the doing of the ISI or Muslim militants.
S. QADRI
Karachi
WITH reference to Umair M. Pannu’s letter, ‘O and A level equivalence in Pakistan’ (Sept 1), I would add that because of the equivalence issue the more prestigious universities of Pakistan have got built-in systems, like entry tests and SAT requirements, to ensure that they get bright students from all the educational systems.
Although there is no preference given to O/A level students over the matriculates by foreign universities, the number of A level students getting admitted to these universities every year is far greater than the FSc ones, due to an exemplary examination system of Cambridge University.
I have studied in a notable government school from Classes I to VIII and, therefore, I am well aware of the poor standard of ‘education’ being imparted in the matric system. Instead of focusing on knowledge application, the system encourages rote learning.
Most of the teachers are incompetent. I would give an example of my English teachers who frequently used phrases like ‘I like to gardening’ and ‘a bread’.
Instead of explaining, most of our science teachers would just translate the text of the books to us — the text which was usually full of mistakes.
Examinations are designed to promote cramming. Although the FBISE has been harping a lot about having cut down rote learning by introducing objective type question papers, the problem still remains. A good example would be an MCQ which was asked in the Urdu paper of our Class VIII examination. Students were required to tick the date when Ghalib met someone in Delhi. Some way to teach Urdu.
Fed up with this system, I opted to take CIE. Although not without some shortcomings, studying in this system is, in my opinion, far better than in the matric system. Most of the teachers use excellent teaching methods.
Papers are designed to help students develop thinking skills and give to-the-point answers, and not to simply write all they know about the key terms in the question, like in the matric system.
Studying in the Cambridge or Oxford system does not mean we are living in a British colony, as Mr Pannu believes; just like studying in foreign universities — something Mr Pannu considers a great achievement — does not imply that we are not an independent nation.
I hope that a time does come when our own education system becomes something to be proud of.
SARA AFZAL
Islamabad
RAMAZAN is here. The whole nation is observing the ritual of Traveeh wherein we listen to the 30 paras of the Holy Quran.
I am of the older generation. In the subcontinent, we were led to believe that mere listening to or reciting of the Quran, without understanding it, was sufficient for us to become good Muslims.
Having travelled and lived in four continents, I feel very strongly about the lost opportunity of understanding the Quran, and I am trying to make up for the long lost years. I would like to make the following observations:
a. The Quran was never meant to be read without understanding it. It was revealed in Arabic — the language of the Arabian people. If Allah wished early Muslims to be enchanted and enthralled with the rhymes and rhythm only, He would have revealed it in an alien language.
b. The Book is full of admonitions and commandments. It is not enough to be able to enjoy its recitation. We are required to follow it as a guide for earthly life, in preparation for the Hereafter.
c. We, in the subcontinent, are very lucky to have the same script and numerous common words with Arabic. It is fairly easy for us to start understanding Quranic verses. I have seen Europeans and others struggling to cope with Arabic script and pronunciations and yet they do it with total determination.
They are baffled beyond belief when they discover that we memorise and recite verses without knowing what they mean. No wonder we have wandering thoughts and cannot concentrate on our Salaat because we do not know what we are saying. Even our Du’aa is literally meaningless as we do not know what we are asking.
d. The clerics have tried to keep the monopoly of the Quranic knowledge to themselves, lest the common man starts asking too many questions.
This is similar to the priest-craft in the mediaeval ages. Then, the Bible was in Latin, so the common man was overly dependent upon priests. When Joan of Arc was tried by the Church and sentenced to death, all the proceedings were conducted in Latin. She did not understand a word of it.
e. I concede that some people try to read ‘line by line’ translation of the Quran. But one must learn Arabic to be able to read and recite it in a meaningful manner. One cannot have the facility of translation during Traveeh and other prayers.
Only with the knowledge of Arabic language, can one appreciate the awesome and majestic thunder in some verses and stirring melodious glory in others.
God has bestowed upon us the magnificent and glorious gift of the Quran. But we refuse to ‘unwrap’ the gift. One is reminded of the Persian proverb:
‘Zubaan- i-yaar-i-mun turki wa mun turki namee danum’
KHALID A
London
I endorse the recommendation made by Dr Tahira Arshad on ‘World religions course’ (Sept 1). I would like to say that the curriculum in the subject of Ethics has been developed by the Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Zoroasters.
Unforunately, Bahai religion has been ignored in the curriculum. There has been concern from the Bahai community in this regard. Students of religious minorities will not only study 12 religions, 30 personalities of different religions and nine religious festivals of these religions but about ethics as well.
Muslim students will be deprived of this all. When 97 per cent of the population will not study, then religious harmony, tolerance and patience will not be possible? We demand the government of Pakistan that this curriculum be included in the other textbooks because they will study Islamic Studies instead of Ethics. They need to study ethics as well which is the need of every human being.Religions which are placed in the recommended curriculum of Ethics from Grades III to XII are Totemism, Fables and Myths, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Confu-cianism, Taoism and Jainism.
Students will study the following personalities: Abraham, Lord Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Moses, Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad, David, St. Paul the Apostle, Baba Guru Nank Dev Ji, Mother Mary, Ashoka, St. Thomas Aquinas, Hazrat Rabia Basri, Zarathustra, Mira Bai, Ibn Miskawayh, Abraham Lincoln, Mahavira, Aristotle, Kant, Imam Ghazali, Florence Nightingale, Sri Arubindu, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Dr Muhammad Younas, Nagaib Mehfouz and Gool Minawal/Nusswanji Mehta and about the following religious festivals:
Eidul Fitr, Christmas, Birthday of Baba Guru Nank, Eidul Azha, Easter, Holi, Nouroz, Lord Krishna’s birthday and Baisakhi.
PROF ANJUM JAMES PAUL
Faisalabad
WAR in Afghanistan has spilled over on to Pakistani territory for the first time. This is indeed a very alarming and dangerous development. Lately tensions between Pakistan and the United States have been running high.
According to New York Times, “It also seemed likely to complicate relations with Pakistan, where the already unstable political situation worsened after the resignation last month of President Pervez Musharraf, a longtime American ally.”
”What you’re seeing is perhaps a stepping up of activity against militants in sanctuaries in the tribal areas that pose a direct threat to United States forces and Afghan forces in Afghanistan,” said one senior American official, who had been briefed on the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity because of the mission’s political sensitivity. “There’s potential to see more.”
The Nato-led war against Taliban in Afghanistan could spread deep into Pakistan, sparking a regionwide conflagration. The foreign ministry in Islamabad termed the incursion ‘a gross violation of Pakistan’s territory’ and a ‘grave provocation’.
Such actions are counterproductive and certainly do not help at all to fight terrorism.
On the contrary, it might fuel the fire of hatred and more violence. This is a very alarming and very dangerous development. Such acts of aggression would not serve the common cause of fighting terrorism and militancy in the area.
PROF WARIS SHERE
Canada
SOMETIMES back I had an opportunity to visit the old city area of Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar where my eyes caught sight of a fragile and bony horse of a victoria cart, reminding me of my childhood days when I would always coax my mother to accompany her to grocery market of famous Soldier Bazaar once in a week with the naïve desire of ascending a victoria cart on our way back home.
In those days roads of old city areas were quite familiar with those victorias, as people would love to cover short distances on them. The ever-rising rush of vehicular traffic on the city’s roads and rising economic woes have not even spared these victorias unmarked, coercing poor owners of these victorias to either sell off their horses or change their mode of occupation for survival.
Sadly, these days the total number of victorias, which are reminiscences of olden days of the British Raj, has fallen to a slim level and days are not far off when this dying mode of transportation will completely disappear from Karachi’s roads leaving the city’s roads to become alien to soft rattling sounds of victorias.
Like old heritage buildings and monuments, these victorias are also part and symbol of this city’s glorifying past.
The government should take steps to revive this dying heritage which will sooner or later become talk of the past if this emblem of the past is not preserved.
SEEMA KHANUM
PASHAMBAY
Karachi
INTELLECTUALS and the other decent, educated and women’s rights upholders have raised voice against the murder and burial of five innocent women. I think this is a crime against humanity and should be punished as such.
With reference to Dawn’s news item: ‘Uproar in Senate over burying of women alive’ (Sept 2), I have to ask them what difference would it make if it was an honour killing? Would it make any less criminal? Even if it was traditional in Baloch tribal society — as Senator Israrullah Zehri and Acting Senate Chairman Mir Jan Jamali defend this gruesome event — it is still not only bestiality but also national degradation. I wish such people would not have reached as august a house as the Senate or the National Assembly.
The problem with such people and, in fact, with the rural tribal societies in Pakistan is ignorance. I would like to remove a misconception of women’s crime for marrying men of their choice. Our cherished religion — Islam, which our 65 per cent people interpret as differently as they are in numbers, allows women to choose their life partner — or show disagreement or give consent for marrying a man of the parents’ selection. This is Islam which had uplifted women from dust to the levels of humanity — even beyond when she becomes a mother. And still Pakistani society wants to trample women under their feet?
All right, I give you a breather. Even if, for the sake of argument, I agree to your contention that women have no right to marry a man of their choice — and if they do try that they would be murdered in cold blood (and nobody would be the wiser), as were Fauzia, Fatima and Jannat Bibi, even then you must try to do away with this tradition.
You know that it is crime against humanity for which reason you were trying to hush it up and are offering lame excuses. You have been unable to cast away this inhuman custom because of your ignorance and illiteracy. To bring up your society at par with other civilised and better societies you must acquire knowledge — even if you have to go as far as China.
REHANA NAQVI
Karachi
II
IT has been surprising to see the atrocious act of burying women alive being widely condemned on television and in newspapers. Incidents like these have prevailed in tribal society from time immemorial, but have either been hushed by powerful influences or pardoned in the name of honour.
Therefore, it is pleasing to see these once condoned customs now making headlines and being publicly disapproved through documentaries and talk shows.
This is a ray of hope for our country, for it’s a sign of a progressive nation for women’s rights to be given due importance. A free media is finally playing its role in shaping society and will hopefully ease the plight of our women by deterring potential perpetrators.
FATIMA RIZVI
Karachi
IN less than seven months since the election, our country’s economic building has been collapsing with such a horrifying speed as if being done by robots. As for assessing the damage, here is what we have got to start with.
Our foreign reserves have gone down from almost $17 billion to $9 billion. Our stock market has lost about 7,000 points. Petrol price per litre has gone up by 35 per cent. Electricity rates, on average, have so far gone up by about 12 per cent. With an average increase of another whopping 54 per cent being implemented in the near future, the total increase would reach 66 per cent.
Our inflation rate before the elections was about nine per cent. In June, it went up to 24 per cent, and in July it reached 31.5 per cent, a monstrous 350 per cent relative increase.
Interest rates have been increased by the State Bank of Pakistan twice in the last couple of months, first by 1.5 per cent and then by another one per cent.
Still, we cannot stop our rupee from weakening; it has weakened by 20 to 25 per cent since the election. And our internal and external debt combined has skyrocketed to around $100 billion. Price hike is trying to bury the poor man alive, while it has already broken the back of the middle class. We have dead men walking.
Is this the democracy our leaders wanted to impose upon the people, the democracy that would grind them down to nothingness? The people of this country are in pain. Do they not hear the moaning, the groaning and the wailing common man?
They do, but they just don’t care. They just have their own personal interests and selves to hold so dear. But they shall have to attend to the crying misery of the people if they want to escape the nemesis that awaits them as a natural consequence of their callous self-seeking.
SYED AQEEL SARWAR
Lahore
TO be an enemy of the US may be dangerous; to be its friend is fatal — Henry Kissinger
ZAIN I. SYED
Washington D.C.
CASES against Nawaz Sharif are being reopened by NAB. Even farmer working in field and shepherd in jungle knows that this is being done to scare NS to toe the government line. This development has dashed the last hope of the people that the era of revenge-seeking and political victimisation is over. People are yearning for the Musharraf era nostalgically within months of arrival of a democratic dispensation.
Suicides by jobless and poverty-stricken parents; suicide bombing that unheard of a decade ago; spiral rise in gas and electricity tariffs and not bringing down the oil prices though in the international market it descended to $105 a barrel (with hidden intent to lower it soon after presidential elections to hoodwink public that the government has brought down the prices); not taking action and even avoiding to speak against the barbarian killers of five women and burying three of them alive; and persecution of the culture and of Baloch people themselves.
All such situations are meant to seek and consolidate more power. The PPP can be exonerated from indulging in such polices as the system has been entrenched to the extent that without these dirty political manoeuvres no one party can succeed.
One hopes that this state of reprehensible affairs would only last till the election of the president. One hopes that people-friendly policies are carried out as the PPP government would enjoy absolute power and face no impediment in implementation of the polices of its choice.
GULSHAN PANHWER
Johi, Dadu
BEING an O level student who has switched to intermediate (in pre-medical) I feel dismayed at the standard of education that is being imparted in matriculation and intermediate systems.
Board examinations do not test the real skill of the students; instead marks are allotted on the basis of rote learning that the student has done and reproduced in the paper.
On the other hand, O/A level papers not only test the knowledge of the student, but how he or she applies his or her understanding of the concepts in solving a problem.
There can be no doubt that O/A level system is much better than our local and outdated systems. But a drawback in case of doing O/A level is that it is a very expensive form of education as school fees, cost of books in the curriculum and examination fees are very high and not everyone can afford it.
The solution of the problem is that our board systems should bring some drastic changes in the outdated syllabi of matriculation and intermediate, and introduce questions in the examination papers that actually test the skill and knowledge of the candidate and not his or her power of rote learning.
A CONCERNED STUDENT
Karachi
THE extension until Oct 31 of one-hour time adjustment is not at all advisable because we go to bed after Maghrib prayers which are 8.30pm and then after having dinner, we have Isha prayers which close by 10.30pm. Taravee will be over by 11.30pm which will be too late.
In such a situation we would not get enough time to spend together with our families as we would have to get up early in the morning. Therefore, it is not advisable to extend the time adjustments after Aug 31.
HR JAMALI
Karachi
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