Terrorism and its Elimination an Islamic Perspective

Islām is a religion of peace and it gives great importance to peace. Islamic teachings and laws are meant to create and maintain peace in the human society. But, unfortunately, Islām has been targeted as a source of terrorism, today. In this article, the author tries to defend Islām and differentiate between Jihād and terrorism. The word terrorism needs to be seen in its historical perspective. Different definitions of terrorism have been presented, but still it is an ambiguous term. In this paper, the author tries to define terrorism in the Islamic perspective. This paper discusses the points given below: m The concept of terrorism, its manifestations and types. M Encountering and prevention of terrorism from Islamic perspective. M Islām and the global brotherhood. M The punishment of terrorism. M The religious viewpoint against a cruel government. M The peaceful struggle against cruelty and injustice. Also, the difference between terrorism and jihad has been clarified. The rules and regulations of Jihād make it clear that it has nothing to do with terrorism, which is an unruly activity. A Muslim is supposed to be a peaceful citizen, who can never indulge in any act of terrorism. The rebellion against the rulers has also been discussed to draw the conclusion that it is not allowed except against the blatant kufr. The objectives of the Islamic punishments indicate the Islamic approach to minimize terrorism in the human society.

Understanding the Role of Principal in Transforming School into a Learning Organisation: A Case of a Private Sector School in Karachi

This study aimed to explore that how a principal of higher secondary school perceives his or her role in transforming school into a learning organisation. The purpose of the study was to learn about the strategies that the principal used, opportunities she explored along with challenges she faced, to transform school into learning organisation working under a private sector school system in Karachi, Pakistan. Within the qualitative research design, case study method was employed for an in-depth understanding using semi-structured interviews, focused group discussions, observations and document analysis with the principal, teachers, students, community and governance. The study revealed that role of principal was perceived as transformational in which principal demonstrated various strategies to build learning organisation and addressed the challenges faced during this process. The strategies used by the principal included shared vision, team learning through shared leadership, capacity building, developing an enabling environment, developing a culture of innovation, experimentation, feedback and reflection, and networking with the community. The opportunities utilised by the principal included community support, system’s support, technology and staff’s cooperation. The challenges included parental motivation so as to engage them in school’s policies and procedures, blocking time for teacher for professional development, competitive salary packages for teachers, increased workload for all, political pressures on students’ admission, hiring of good teachers, safety and security problems hindering organisation’s schedules. In order to address these issues timely and effectively, principal utilised systems, teachers, staff and community’s support, which seemed a difficult job otherwise. This study presents several implications for policymakers, professional development institutes and educational systems to empower and support the principals and teachers to create supportive structures and cultures in their schools that enhance the learning of the organisations for their sustainable improvement. Finally, the study presents some recommendations for future research to further explore this area.