The total population of Muslims around the world is approximately 1.2 billion. It means that every fifth person on this planet earth is Muslim. As well as they (Muslims) are majority in 57 countries of the world. It was found that Western and American elite media misrepresented and inaccurately portrayed Islam and Muslim world. The anti-Islamic media campaign has reached to enormous proportion with the world wide dissipation of communism, particularly with demise of communism in former USSR. The dissertation investigated the coverage and portrayal of twelve Muslim countries by Newsweek and Time during the given period from 1991-2001. In this connection, the twelve Muslims countries were placed in three categories on the basis of their nature of relations with USA. In each category, four Muslim countries were included: 1. US Allies (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia & Turkey) 2. US Enemies (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran & Libya) 3. Neutral Countries (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia & Pakistan) Moreover, six hypotheses were developed and tested. It is pertinent to mention in this crux of the study the dissertation is comprised of seven chapters as well as the study was theoretically linked with propaganda model of Herman and Chomsky. It was found that 1943 articles about Muslim countries (35) were published in 1098 issues of the both magazines during the time period of 11 years (1991-2001). In this connection, the content analysis of 219 articles of twelve Muslim countries would be undertaken. The findings indicated that 107 articles of Newsweek pertaining to the twelve Muslim countries were analyzed, it was found that all these countries received greater negative coverage (31.84%, 1794 sentences) as compared to ratio of the positive coverage (12.79%, 721 sentences). Newsweek carried 5634 sentences about Muslim countries. Similarly, the content analyses of 112 articles of the Time related to the twelve Muslim countries were undertaken. The magazine carried 5965 sentences of which 12.65% (755) sentences and 29.50% (1760) sentences were positive and negative respectively. It means that the proportion of negative coverage (29.50%) of the Muslim countries was greater than the ratio of positive coverage (12.65%) in the Time. On the whole, the both magazines carried 11546 sentences, of which 30.77% (3553) VIsentences and 12.64% (1460) sentences were negative and positive respectively. It was, therefore, concluded that overall ratio of negative coverage (30.77%) was greater than the proportion of positive coverage (12.64%). The findings indicted that except hypothesis no. 2, all remaining hypotheses were strongly supported. It is pertinent to mention here that out of the twelve Muslim countries, Iraq was the only Muslim country which received zero percent positive coverage, while on the other hand; Jordan received maximum positive coverage, which was 54.48% (528) sentences out of total 969 sentences. Similarly, Afghanistan and Indonesia were the countries which received maximum negative coverage. On the whole, the total negative coverage of Afghanistan and Indonesia was 57.08% (572) sentences and 57.08% (580) sentences respectively. The findings also depicted that 107 articles of Newsweek about the twelve Muslim countries were selected for content analysis of which 17, 32, and 58 articles were favorable, unfavorable and neutral respectively .Similarly out of 112 articles of the Time related to the Muslim countries of which 12, 34, 66 articles were favorable, unfavorable and neutral respectively. It was found that like Newsweek ratio of unfavorable articles was greater as compared to favorable articles in Time. On the whole, it was found that out of 219 articles about Muslim countries in the both magazines were analyzed of which 29, 66, 124 articles were favorable, unfavorable and neutral respectively. In nutshell, it is concluded that portrayal of all (twelve) Muslim countries by Newsweek and the Time was negative as compare to positive portrayal. Moreover, it was found that the language of the articles of the both magazines was very provocative; strong verbs and superlative degrees were used to depict the distorted image of Islam, Muslims and Muslim world. The words like radicalism, extremism and fanaticism, fundamentalism, terrorist, extremist, militants and violent were found to be linked with three other words Muslim, Islam and Islamic. Portrayal of Muslim world was investigated in light of the propaganda model of Herman and Chomsky. In this connection, slanting and framing was explored. Moreover, it was also found that manufacturing consent factor played significant contribution regarding the direction of US media. It was proved that elite media of USA served the goals of American Foreign Policy. In other words, American VIImainstream media’s performance was driven or dictated by the state’s political communication regime and according to the priorities set by the White House, Pentagon or Foreign Office. In the last part of the thesis, it was recommended that both magazines should adopt objective and impartial policy about the coverage of Muslim world as well as the both magazines should play their constructive role for cross cultural understanding between Muslim world and the United States. It was also suggested that the Muslim world should systematically utilize the power of mass media: (Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, motion pictures and internet -online journalism), presentational media/interpersonal communication tools, so that true, accurate and solid information related to Islam, Muslims countries could be disseminated to the Western World.
Islam wants from its believers to make a peaceful society. The first base of each society is husband-wife relation. Islam has given much emphasis upon this relationship to make it smooth, peaceful, joyful and interactive. But considering human as multidimensional, Islam has allowed husband and wife to get themselves separate from each other, it they cannot survive this relationship smoothly at any level. Though, ‘divorce’ is allowed in Islam but at last solution. Pakistan, as being a Muslim society is facing increase rate in divorce nowadays. My research work is covering different reasons and aspects behind this high ratio of divorce in Pakistan. This research will be helpful to find out any solution to decrease the divorce ration in Pakistani society.
A field study was carried out to evaluate the application of DSSAT model for simulating the impact of planting densities and nitrogen rates on growth, yield and quality of sunflower hybrids. The experimental data needed to run the model was obtained from two years (2010 and 2011) field experiments at two locations, including the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Research Area of University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha. The achene yield among various treatments (hybrids, planting densities and nitrogen rates) was associated with growth and development of crop or to their photosynthetic activity. At both the experimental locations, the nitrogen rate 150 kg ha-1 and planting density 83, 333 plants ha-1 (20cm plant spacing) gave higher yield as compared to standard 125 kg N ha-1 and 66,666 plants ha-1 (25cm plant spacing), respectively. Similarly, S-278 performed well, in term of achene yield and achene oil contents at both locations than Hysun-33 sunflower hybrids. The DSSAT (OILCROP-SUN) model testing and application in this study established that this specific model could be satisfactorily used as a research tool at different locations of Punjab-Pakistan. The DSSAT (OILCROP-SUN) model was calibrated and evaluated under local conditions and it predicted phenology, growth and yield of sunflower crop to a reasonable accuracy for different sunflower hybrids at varying planting densities and nitrogen application. The findings propose that the model can be used to direct the alternate path for improving sunflower production in different agro-environmental conditions of the Punjab, Pakistan. At the end, following suggestions must be under taken to meet the future challenges. Simulation of other crop nutrients (P&K), irrigation scheduling and cropping system research should also be focussed in modeling studies. Inter comparison of different models should be carried out to simulate the growth and yield of sunflower under semiarid environment of Pakistan. Optimization of site specific production technology for different crops using crop growth models should be tested and promoted. Future studies for possible impact of climate change on new hybrids of sunflower and other crops production should be included at more number of weather stations to better reflect the heterogeneity in different cropping regions.