A True Vision of Human Rights in Islam

If one accepts the premise of the Old Testament that Adam was created in the image of God, this implies that the divine stamp gives human beings a high value of worth. In similar vein, the Quran says: Surely we have accorded dignity to the Sons of Man. So too, in the Bhagavad-Gita: Who sees his Lord Within every creature deathlessly dwelling amidst the mortal: That man sees truly. Put another way, in a religious context, every human being is considered sacred. Believing in a common universal Divine force, which gives rise to a common humanity and from this flows a universality of certain rights. Since the rights stem from a divine source, they are inalienable by mortal authority. This concept is found not only in the Judaeo-Christian tradition but in Islam in its more advanced and wider perspective. The present study is an attempt to provide an epilogue on human rights given in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is an in-depth analysis of Human Rights and dignity of person, encompassing its various dimensions. The study is an attempt to understand the true philosophy of human rights in Islam. It aims at providing an ethical and legal basis for the realization of implementation of human rights in the world states in general and in the Muslim states in particular.

Socialization of Beginning English Teachers in Pakistan

Socialization of Beginning English Teachers in Pakistan English language teaching in Pakistan has been experiencing a period of rapid and multiple reforms in different areas including professional socialization of English teachers. This doctoral study was conducted to examine the relationship between socialization content and effective socialization process of beginning English teachers during the initial four years of their service. Socialization content was identified with four variables: task mastery of teaching skill, professional learning, relationship with senior colleagues, and organizational culture. Effective socialization has been interpreted as the criterion through which the success of the organization’s socialization programs and individuals is evaluated. The survey method was used for generating the desired data. A sample was chosen carefully from the colleges located in Punjab province and Islamabad. A detailed questionnaire comprising three main sections and four sub-sections was used for data collection. A separate questionnaire was used for the Heads of English Department to supplement the research findings. The collected data, from 295 respondents, was examined through descriptive analysis and then computed for interpretation with linear and multiple regression analyses to test study hypotheses. The results did not approve the Null hypothesis of no relationship between socialization content and effective socialization of beginning English teachers. The alternative hypotheses were accepted which assumed a positive relationship between effective socialization (DV) and individual variable of socialization content (IV). Many socialization challenges were found related to beginning teachers’ mastery on teaching skill, on-the-job professional development through formal training programs and job experiences, relationship with experienced colleagues for advice and support, and administrative and cultural inconsistencies. Finally, the study has suggested that introducing mentoring and cost-effective PD models can improve professional skills along with the enhancement in relationship among teachers through various socialization programs. The principals/ administrators can contribute to favorable organizational culture, empowering beginning teachers in classrooms, which may have a positive effect on teachers’ self-perception. There is a need to focus on workplace learning programs with a mind shift from theoretical lectures/ workshops to real life practices. It is hoped that findings of this research would help in developing strategies for the forthcoming socialization and professional challenges in the perspective of English language teaching reforms in Pakistan.