آہ! جنرل ضیاء الحق
گزشتہ مہینہ کا معارف اشاعت کے آخری مرحلہ میں تھا کہ اس اذیت ناک خبر نے ہوش و حواس پراگندہ کردیا کہ پاکستان کے صدر جنرل محمد ضیاء الحق ایک ہوئی حادثہ میں جاں بحق ہوگئے، اِناﷲ وَ اِنا اِلیہ رَاجِعُونْ۔ ان کے ساتھ امریکی سفیر، پاکستانی فوج کے تقریباً ایک درجن اعلیٰ افسر اور دوسرے کئی افراد بھی چشم زدن میں ہلاک ہوگئے، جنرل ضیاء الحق کی اس غیرمتوقع اور اچانک شہادت سے پاکستان میں کہرام مچ گیا، ساری دنیائے اسلام میں ماتم بپا ہوگیا اور ان لوگوں کو بڑا دھکا لگا جو سمجھتے تھے کہ مرحوم دنیا کی امامت کا بارا اٹھانے کے لیے امت مرحومہ کو پھر شجاعت و عدالت کا سبق پڑھنے کی تلقین فرما رہے تھے، وہ ایک مذہبی گھرانے میں پیدا ہوئے تھے، والد کی تربیت اور ماحول کے اثر سے ان میں بھی دینداری اور عقیدہ و عمل کی پختگی رچ بس گئی تھی، جس کا مظاہرہ ان کی ذاتی اور نجی زندگی سے لے کر قومی و بین الاقوامی ہر سطح پر ہوتا رہتا تھا، وہ جس درجہ صوم و صلوٰۃ کے پابند تھے، اسی درجہ ان کی زندگی اور سیرت پاکیزہ تھی، وہ دن میں امور مملکت کی گھتیاں سلجھاتے اور رات کا آخری پہر تسبیح و تہلیل، دعاء و مناجات اور توبہ و استغفار میں گزارتے اور رمضان المبارک کے آخری ایام حرمین شریفین کے لیے وقف رکھتے
تجھ سے ہوا آشکار بندۂ مومن کا راز
اس کے دنوں کی تپش ، اس کی شبوں کا گداز
جب پاکستان کی زمام کار ان کے ہاتھوں میں آئی تو انھوں نے اسے ان خطوط پر چلانے کا مصمم ارادہ کرلیا جن کے لیے یہ وجود میں آیا تھا، ہر قسم کی دشواریوں کے باوجود اسلام کا بول بالا اور احکام شریعت...
Since the advent of Islam, Muslims have never ceased to be important for the West and have been variously depicted in English literature from time to time. However, after the tragic incidents of 11th September, 2001, there has been a dramatic change in the world's focus on them, both in nature and in magnitude. Both as Ummah—the formal Arabic word for the global community of Muslims —and as individuals, they have suddenly found themselves among the protagonists of English literature in general, and that produced in the North American Continent in particular. This paper aims at discussing the different images of Muslims and Islam in the English literature of North America, focusing on their nature, types, causes, consequences and the way they differ from the depiction of Muslims and Islam before the drastic disaster of nine-eleven. It also intends to contrast the literature authored by Muslim Americans about themselves with that written by non-Muslim Americans about them during the period in focus.
Grammar teaching plays an important role in second/foreign language teaching, and according to Pollock and Waller (1999) Grammar is indeed the lifeline to literacy. It is the language which we need to understand in order to be able to use that language effectively (p.2) The focus of this study is to explore English language teachers' views and experiences in teaching English grammar at the lower secondary level in private English medium schools in Karachi. The study followed a quantitative paradigm. Data were collected through survey, and structured interviews were conducted using questionnaires. The sample included 23 English language teachers teaching English at the Lower Secondary level, that is, classes VI, VII, and VIII, in four secondary private English medium schools in Karachi. The study highlighted English teachers' views about the importance and role of grammar in English language teaching and learning, and the teachers' role in grammar teaching. Teachers in the study indicated that their preferred strategies for teaching grammar included use of a wide variety of activities, games and instructions that promote communicative learning of English grammar. The study indicated that there is still no single answer to what is the best way, or the single best strategy, to teach English grammar at this level. Findings point at interesting similarities in approaches used in grammar teaching in both Karachi (Pakistan) and in Osh (Kyrgyzstan). Some differences in grammar teaching strategies between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan arise due to differences between the contexts, that is, ESL and EFL contexts. Grammar teaching is an important element of English language teaching in both the ESL and the EFL context, and teachers are trying out newer approaches, and are capable of evaluating teaching strategies and using strategies that are suitable to their context. My purpose for taking up this study was to find out teachers' views and practices in teaching English grammar in Pakistan. The study indicates that grammar-teaching strategies used for teaching in Pakistan (an ESL context) could be used with slight modifications in Kyrgyzstan (an EFL context) as well. Some recommendations for language educators in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan are highlighted in the study, and the scope for further research in the area is also indicated.