Reading for Children is Gifting to Generation (an e-letter)

The post is actually an electronic letter which was written to me and I think its better to share the beautiful thoughts with you people to put it on record and motivate for a noble social cause.

Before starting reading and enjoying it, the context is needed for better understanding. The thing is that....

A few days back I emailed a link to a few of my friends' which was a lecture by famous British writer Neil Gaiman on reading books to children, reading habit and the role of Libraries. The lecture was really thought provoking that it made many of the opinion leaders and journalists world wide to talk about and share with their followers. From Pakistan Mr. Amir Khakwani a columnist in an Urdu newspaper shared the words of the lecture and motivated the Urdu readers towards books reading and its need in the society. In response of my that email one of my American friend who I think is my most old age friend on globe shared following beautiful thoughts with me.

Hey Dear Fahad,

I love that you sent me this article, it is a subject near and dear to me.  We are avid readers in our family, and I have deep faith that reading with children, and helping them learn to read is the greatest gift you can give them.  Both Richard (her husband) and I are book collectors.  The 2nd hand stores near us are loaded with peoples almost new and new castaway books that are sold for $2.50!!.  Richard interested in Military and History, he owns books on Hitler, Pearl Harbor, Charles Lindbergh, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill, anything to do with aircraft.  I love books on Art, live biographies, mysteries, cooking and crafts and I buy hundreds of books for the children we care for. so here is what I have to say about the man's article you sent me:

I AGREE: READING IS ESSENTIAL TO EDUCATION, TO SOCIETY, AND TO INSTILL IN CHILDREN THE DESIRE TO LEARN. knowledge is one of the greatest things we can acquire in this life and a love of learning helps children desire that.

I DISAGREE: that there are no bad books for children (and or adults)  THERE ARE BAD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, THERE ARE BAD BOOKS FOR ADULTS.  It is BOOKS THAT TEACH EXCELLENCE, PRINCIPALS OF HIGH STANDARDS, MORALS, AND LIFE LESSONS that SHOULD BE INCLUDED as good books AS WELL AS THE BOOKS THAT EXCITE like adventure (Tom Sawyer, Captain Courageous) , AND MYSTERIES TO SOLVE, AND ANTICIPATION OF WHAT IS NEXT, BOOKS ABOUT OTHER LANDS, CULTURES AND PEOPLE.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE BOOKS written AS WELL AS MEDIA THAT A FILLED WITH VIOLENCE, AND THE DOWNSIDE OF SOCIETY,(rape, murder, criminal behavior) In these books and media   CRIMINALS are often MADE TO BE HEROINS AS IN THE RECENTLY RELEASED MOVIE ABOUT BONNIE AND CLYDE TWO ROMANTICIZED LOVERS WHO WERE IN FACT COLD BLOODED MURDERERS WITH NO regard for the taking INNOCENT LIVES FOR THE THRILL OF IT.

Another book that comes to mind is "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.  This a true story of criminals who cold bloodily murdered an entire farm family, mother, father and children.  It was also made into a movie!!

I believe WHAT WE READ, WHAT WE SEE, REMAINS IN OUR minds.  WE CAN PLAY IN THE DIRT AND WASH OUR HANDS, BUT WE CAN'T WASH OUR BRAINS AND A CHILD IS IMPRESSIONABLE AND THEIR YOUNGER YEARS SHOULD BE GUARDED. THERE IS A LOT OF CRAP PRINTED THAT I WOULD NOT ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO READ.  I believe that WHICH UPLIFTS AND EDIFIES AND PROMOTES GOOD IS WHAT I WOULD WANT TO INSTILL IN  MY CHILDREN. Of course , the Classics should read by everyone.  If people would read Shakespeare and Bronte and even Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, perhaps they could find other adjectives to use when describing things instead of the swear words they find so easy to spit out.

AGREED: BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT, LIBRARYIES ARE IMPORTANT, AND ITS IMPORTANT IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO DO SO HAVE A HOME LIBRARY.  MY HOME IS FILLED WITH BOOKS, WE HAVE A FLOOR TO CEILING BOOKSHELF DOWN OUR ENTIRE HALL WAY.  I ENCOURAGE KIDS TO READ, AND I READ TO THEM, IN FACT IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL HERE, CHILDREN in 1st grade  ARE REQUIRED TO READ ONE BOOK A DAY.  THERE IS A SAYING "RICHER THAN I COULD NEVER BE FOR I HAD A MOTHER WHO READ TO ME".

I TEACH YOUNG CHILDREN AND I LOVE TO INTRODUCE THEM TO FUNNY AUTHORS LIKE DAVID SHANNON AND ERIC CARL, Shel Silverstein (where the sidewalk ends) Carl and Shannon ARE ALSO ARTISTS AND ILLUSTRATE THEIR BOOKS, THE POLAR EXPRESS WRITTEN BY Chris Van ALLSBURG IS FANTASTICALLY ILLUSTRATED AS HE WAS A GRADUATE OF THE RI SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND HIS BOOKS SUCH AS ZATHURA AND JAMANZI HAVE BEEN MADE INTO MOVIES.

SO EXCEPT FOR THE IDEA THAT ANYTHING GOES FOR READING FOR CHILDREN, I AGREE WITH THIS FELLOW ON HIS POINTS. 

I HEAR THEY ARE CLOSING LIBRARIES, I HOPE IT IS NOT SO, I believe I was told Hitler destroyed books too.

I LEARNED TO LOVE READING WHEN I DISCOVER NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES AND MY  MOTHER WOULD DROP ME AT THE LIBRARY AND I SPENT HOURS READING AND READING AND TO THIS DAY I CAN'T PUT A MYSTERY BOOK DOWN BECAUSE I MUST SEE HOW THE CRIME IS SOLVED. LOL

That being said, I do not believe in censure ship, I do not believe in banning books because there should always be freedom of speech and freedom to choose what one reads.  I hope that makes sense to you because I have a deep sense in individual freedom of choice for we are all responsible and will be held accountable for our choices in this life. (my belief) and I don't think it is right to force our thinking on to others, let them chose for themselves. Children on the other hand are and should be under parents nurturing and guidance until old enough to make their own decisions.

Well, there you have it, my opinions are always, as you know, passionate and complicated but then again we seem alike in that way Fahad :) and I would love to know how you feel about this subject, whether you see it like I do or not and why or why not??

and although you don't celebrate. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!  hugs!!  I am really happy to hear from you !! You may Enjoy the book and the movie. 

Here is Shell Silversteins poem I love and makes kids laugh:

Messy Room by Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!

This is all by her - how I perceived it is; she 1st shared her family attitude towards books reading and tried to motivate by leaving a thought print in the mind of the readers. An action that should be followed, then she resisted on the words of the lecture that there are no bad books and said; there are bad books and we should stop and protect our youngers to read and watch such content. Between the lines how beautifully she shared the American culture of reading and a few trends of delivering thoughts to their children. She also shares and motivates to read her favorites and indirectly by giving details suggests to read them.
I think we should also support her and follow her message of reading books for the children. On her question I want to say that Yes Jeri our grannies also used to tell us stories the stories of morals, the stories of culture but its missing now in the age of technology. Teens are much engaged with gadgets now and rarely sit with old people to listen the experiences.
But on her later views I want to say that; The violence in words or hate speeches are like white collar crimes which stay hidden and pretend to be for social welfare but actually they play with the emotions and lives of others. Just a few months back such an act resulted in attack on American Embassy in Libya and took the life of an Ambassador. No one can support the violence but at the same time no one SHOULD support the violence in words!
At the end I wanna say; Thank you Jeri for such beautiful thoughts sharing and I always love to have from you side.
Have peaceful and beautiful new years from here, Pakistan too!! :)

Nelson was not his real name

Do you know that Nelson Mandela's real first family given name was not Nelson? The guy who fought and got justice for the black people of the South Africa and became a symbol of non-violent successful movement in the world and to whom we are appreciating for his life long struggle against apartheid will remembered with the name which is a memory of apartheid regime.

Actually in Africa under the influence of British Colony it was the custom that the teachers used to name the students in English BECAUSE the African names were difficult to call upon. So Madiba (name of his clan) son was given the name "Nelson" by his teacher Miss. Mdingane. His real name was Rolihlahla but I don't think majority of the hymn singing world is aware of it.

Its over to you that how you take it positively by saying that he never asked for himself but fought for the justice in world or pessimistically by saying that the injustice remains and moulds the people in the way that wants. But no one can refuse that Madiba's son will be remembered for his 95 years services for humanity!

Nelson Mandela/ Rolihlahla Madiba by Benadia

Source: Mandela Foundation

Don't distort the history (Mughal History)

Taj Mahal

If lie becomes the routine of a mass media, and its audience also starts doing blind believe on the productions of it, then no one can stop to the destruction of that poor nation. It has been found that on the mass media of the Pakistan, there are people who just try to degrade the Muslims’ heritage and in this regard they try their best to prove that the rulers of the sub-continent had been cruel, uneducated and uncivilized. Though there had been Hindu, Sikh and other rulers as well on the sub-continent but their angriness falls only on the Muslim rulers, especially on the Aurang zeib Alamgeer. He has been recorded as the most virtue, justice-providing kind Mughal-Emperor. If we want to exemplify the condition of those so called media intellectuals who are ashamed on their heritage and who are enjoying good seats in the mainstream, then the example comes in mind is; A guy who get settles in the city by the sacrifices of his poor villager parents. Once old parents visit him on some occasion but he tries to hide them from the friends. But when he fails in it, he introduces them, as “the servants from his village, came to ask some favor and will stay for a few days with him”.

Mosaic Art

Since some days, a so called public service message is being run by a big news channel of the Pakistani mainstream media. In the ad, history has been distorted towards the interest of the people mentioned above and the makers have shown that; when Europe was building Universities, research and thinking centers at there, the Mughal Emperors were busy in making Shalamaar Bagh and Taj Mahal here. We will discuss the historical evidences from the next paragraph but here a point to think is; how such wonders were possible to build without education, which are the samples of great architecture in themselves. If we get little deep, we will find that such architectures were impossible without the great command on at-least two social aspects; the experty in the science of architecture and the strong economic and financial conditions of the state. The available description of Taj mahal, Sheesh mahal, maqbra-e-Hamayun, Deewan-e-haas and shalamaar baag tells that the constructors of the buildings were touching the best knowledge of the geometry at the age. All the four minarets of the Taj Mahal were constructed ½ inch outward bowed so that the earth quake can’t cause the minarets to fall on the domes. An uneducated layman can’t lay the bricks in such pattern because there is science of mathematics at there. The Taj Mahal is standing at a 90 feet base in which 30 feet is sand.  This sand is to protect from the earth quake, so that the construction can stay at its position if shock shakes the building. All this need is the education of geometry and mathematics at there. The tiles are mosaic art, in which small colorful tiles were used to make the pictures and designs on the walls. This art can be seen in the 1KM long wall of Shahi Killa Lahore and Masjid Wazir Khan. The colors and making of that long lasting material needs deep knowledge of the chemistry which we are studying now a days in the contemporary universities. Same situation has been found in the fresco painting, the colors of which are still same as they had been 400 years ago. All the Mughal age constructions has been found with a special underground water supply and sewerage systems. The pipes of them were made with special clay that they are still in their real working conditions even after 400 years. The clay making technique was known as tera kotta. If we collect all the knowledge of construction in Mughal era and try to make a curriculum according to our current education system, we will find that a single construction will require numbers of PhDs in them. Now the simple Question is; Does all this possible in that Sub-continent, in which the illiteracy was at its peak and whose rulers were education-haters?? NO IT IS NOT!!!

By coming to the historical evidences about my points of the Mughal age, I will code only the western historians, because might be the ad-makers and their ideological fellows don’t like the locals/Muslim’s references. Will Dewrant is famous historian and philosopher of the west, he writes in his famous book (The Story of Civilization) about the Sub-continent that; “Every village was having school teachers, which were being paid by the Government. There were eighty thousand (80,000) schools in the Bangal only, much before the British came here. There was one school for every 400 people and the subjects in the schools were; Grammar, Arts and Crafts, Medicine, philosophy and Logic”. He codes in his another book (A Case for India) that; “Only in Madraas there were 1,25,000 centers where the education of medicine was being taught and free health facilities were available”. Major M.D. Basu wrote bundle of books on British rule and the Hindustaan of the Mughal era. He also codes by Max Mollar that; “There were 80,000 Madrisaas in Banghal only, before the British occupied India”. A tourist Alexander Hamilton came in India in the time of Aurang Zeib Alamgeer, and he codes; “There were 400 colleges of Arts in Thatta only”. Once major Basu writes; “The Education of science, philosophy, medicine etc. of a common Indian in the Mughal age was more than the elites, rulers and even than the Queen of the Great Britain. The report of the James Grant is memorable worthy in which he says; “The donations of the personal properties, for the educational institutes was introduced by the Muslims in the world”. “In 1857, when British occupied whole India, in a small district of Rohail Khand five thousand (5000) teachers were getting pays by the Government treasury”. All the above discussed areas were so far from the Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, Mumbai and Agra like big cities but the facilities for the education were so enriched. British and Hindu historians are agreed upon that the education was at its peak in the era of Aurang zeib Alamgeer. He used to pay equal salary to all the teachers without any discrimination, based upon the religion. Though it has been recorded that the secular Akbar practiced unequal salary distribution for the teachers in his rule. It was Aurang Zeib who donated the land to all the worship places (temples, churches, mosques etc.) and fixed the scholarships/salary for the priests and co-workers from the government treasury. There were three famous Hindu historians at Aurang Zeib’s time; Sajaan Roy Khatrri, Bheem Seen and Eishwar Daas, they all coded in their books Khulasat-ul-tawareeh, nus-ha dilkasha and fatoohat-e-Aalam Geeri respectively that; it was Alam Geer who 1^st time in the Indian history introduced regular medicine curriculum and added the books Tib-e-nabvi, tib-e-akbar, mafrh-al-qaloob, tareef-ul-amraaz and Mujurbaat-e-akbari in the courses of the medical colleges. All these books are almost equal to the current MBBS courses in the modern medical colleges. Hundreds of years back from the Aunrang Zaib Alamgeer, Feroz Shah built a hospital in Delhi named “Daar-ul-Shiffa”. Alamgir introduced another book later named; Tib-e-Feroz Shahi which also became the part of medical studies in the time. It has also been recorded that there were 100 hospitals in Delhi at the time of Alamgeer.

I can code thousands of such evidences from the history but the space is not allowing me to do it. All the researchers can visit Lahore Anar kali tomb and can see the census report of 1911 regarding the literacy rate of all the districts in Mughal period. It was 80% or more than that in all the districts and was more than anywhere on the earth at that time. But when Britain left India the literacy rate was just 10% here. The Banghal was conquered in 1757 and in next 34 years all the schools and colleges were turned into rubble. Then Lord Cornivolas opened 1^st separate religious school in 1781 and paved the way for new destruction in the India. Before of that in sub-continent there was no division in the religious or any other scientific school. In a single institute (Madrassa) there was education of Quran, Philosophy and of science at there.

Hmayun's Tomb

These are the votes of history but if the ad makers want to spread the lie then who can stop them? Abu-Jahal’s name was Umru Bin Hasham, he was very intelligent and educated that the people of Makkah used to call him; “Abu-Al-Hikam” means the father of wisdom. But Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said; he is not the Father of Wisdom but he is the Father of ignorance, “Abu-Jahal”. Modern age also have many of such Abu-Jahal around us.

Translation of: Orya Maqbool’s column.

Hats-off for the Turkey!

How it works!

Umar Ibrahim Vadillo in Pakistan (Islamic Economics)

A conference on "Islamic Economic System and Dirham-o-Dinar" held in Ewan-e-Iqbal Lahore in 2^nd week of the July 2012. In the conference a big number of people of different age groups and sections of the society came to listen the famous scholar Umar Ibrahim Vadillo from Malaysia. 

The conference which was organized by the "Al-Ilm Trust” was started by the Orya maqbool jan's (well-known columnist) short presentation. In the presentation he explained the capitalism, socialism and other economic systems of the world and also the miseries given by these systems to the humanity.

A famous working Journalist Miss Humaira also addressed the audience and shared her struggle for demolishing interest based debt from the local creditors and hurdles which she is facing while introducing a national law through the constitutional assemblies against them. She said; she is working on the cause since 2003 but still no Government has taken it seriously. She asked; we claim to be Muslims and call our country "The Islamic Republic of Pakistan" but practically we can't establish it on its real soul till we get rid of this interest based economy. At the end of her talk; she also shared the hurdles and said; this is the bureaucracy the main barrier in throwing-down to the non-Islamic laws rather than the politicians of the state to whom we blame, so often.

Ex-Governor of State Bank of Pakistan also talked to the attendees and made the audience to understand the vision of M.Ali Jinnah behind the creation of Pakistan. He referred his talk to the M.Ali Jinnah’s speech on putting-stone of State bank in 1948, in which Quaid clearly criticized the western economic system and blamed him for two World wars in the 20th century and asked the researchers of state bank to establish the economy on the rules given by the Islam.

The special Guest Speaker of the conference was famous economist on Islamic Economics Al-Sheikh Dr. Umar Ibrahim Vadillo from Malaysia. In his speech, he beautifully and very simply explained the trap of the capitalism and its offences to the people of the world. He said; all the economic problems like Inflation, poverty, socio-economic inequality, joblessness, economic crisis etc are actually the results of Paper-Money and interest based central banking system of the world.

He added, if we do follow to the said economic system, our pockets are not safe, does not matter how much security we have for them. Because the control of this paper-money is in the hand of bankers and globally-controlled-governments of the states. Whenever they (the bankers/governments) want they can print the notes and the value of our savings get decrease from the worth, we paid for them.

By giving some statistics and economically technical points he said; right now USA has 3000 Times more paper notes than the real resources (Gold) behind them. He suggested to retrieve “the Gold and silver coins” to solve inflation, unemployment and to eliminate white-collar robberies from the world. And to remove inequality from the society we have to demolish interest/ribbah based economic system.

By answering the critics he said; if Muslims can run their state economy, in the age of Prophet PBUH and His followers (sahaba), who has ruled over half of the world, then why we can’t do it now? 

In the concluding remarks of his talk he shared the successful experience of introducing Gold and Silver coins in the kelantan province of Malaysia and its fruits in the society over-there. He showed his interest to introduce same coins in the Pakistan by starting from the province Punjab. 

In his visit to Pakistan he is meeting with some of the politicians to make them understand and support the cause as it has been supported by the Malaysian Government directly and by the Turkish and other Arab Governments indirectly. 


Conference by the camera Eye: Click.

Some important web sources:
http://umarvadillo.wordpress.com/
http://worldislamicmint.com/main.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/80661248/Islamic-Banking-is-Haram
https://www.facebook.com/alilmtrust
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shaykh-Umar-Ibrahim-Vadillo/322995011117956


The talk of the Conference:

A Peace Talk (Youth for Culture of Peace)!

The writing bellow was written to speak on "Peace", in a Seminar held in University of Gujrat, Pakistan. The seminar was followed by the course "Peace Talks for Conflict Resolution" under Ingeborg Breines (Vice President IPB) as Lecturer from the Norway.

Before me, you guys were listening to four different sections of the society (Religious scholars, Journalists, Politicians and Civil Society) which were talking about their professional roles in building culture of Peace in this world. By following the program format, me too, will talk a littel about the 'roles and responsibilities' of the young people. As majority of the attendees in this seminar hall are from this age group so it is quite importat task for me to make all, understand and come up for the said cause.

Dear audiance, Youth is more than 60% of total 180M population of Pakistan but ufortunately it is in the silent majority and this silence is because of the heavy weight of apathy and ignorance in them. Though there is also an unhelthy image of the youth but it is also in our responsibilities to remove that tag from us.

We have to play our role in transforming Culture of Conflict into Culture of Peace and for  this purpose young people have to be dedicated, peaceful in themself and should have thinking mind and productive knowledge. Now in this interdependant world the role of youth also has been changed from very small community to at the world level. The youth of world is deeply connected and playing their positive and active role in promoting cuture of Peace, as much as they can. We, the pakistani youth also have to come up and remove all kind of discriminations which are reasons of conflict in this modern world. Now this world can't run by discriminating on the basis like nationalism, racism, ethniscism etc.

Friends, we have to Promote those examples and appreciate them which are for the Peace, rather to them, which caused conflicts in the society. Another important step which we Youngsters have to take is; engagement with the public policy discussions. We should not be blind followers of our leaders because so often it cause unrest in the society.

The role of the youth is very immediate. The privileged young people, like we, who are attending this seminar should spread our privileges to our society. In the return we can arrange peace educatin programs, youth peace seminars and training to solve the conflicts on tables rather than in battle fields. Or at least we can start awareness campaigns by Face to Face talks in which we make our young fellows to think beyond their pocket/self interests because it paves the way toward injustice and lather conflict in the society.

By doing all this, we will not only remove the unhealthy image of the youth but will also contribute alot for culture of peace in this world. Here, we need to keep one thing in our mind that only a proper and organized work can bring some change in the Human society, so we should start and join such platform where we can add some productive work for our surroundings.

At the end of this talk, i would like to leave, all of you, with a food for thought: "Right now we are just noble citizen of this world but many of us will be the Leader of future world, 'Are you Ready and Trained For That"'
Thank You!

Love is still there....! (2)

At 1st Please go through the link.

Cricket Asia Cup-2012 once again explored the deep love in the people of both divided lands. The Picture (Given bellow) (Two players of Bangladeshi team crying on their defeat in the final match) is one of the common sharing on social media, just after the final match between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The people of the winning country (Pakistan) is not celebrating (out of a few shown on media just after the match) its victory and crown of Asian Champion as they defeated to the broken Arm (then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh) of their body.

Another capturing (Bangladeshi Player with paksitani player) of the event.