News Kashmir Magazine

16 November,2020 Issue

TRADITIONAL CURRICULUM VS MODERN CURRICULUM
By Syed Mustafa Ahmad
Curriculum has been defined in many ways according to the need of the time. Before some decades, traditional curriculum was in dominance. It was also called bookish curriculum. It focused on books, exams, discipline, fixed time tables, paper degrees, law and order,etc. However, it was against the individual differences. Same kind of syllabus was for different children. Philosophy students were taught Urdu while English students were taught Hindi. In place of practical, theory dominated every part of  society.       But with the revolution in information technology, the need for the modern curriculum has arisen. The present age is the age of AI, robotics, Quantum mechanics, etc. Innovation is the order of the day. Men have started to colonize other celestial bodies. There are chances of life on Venus as well. The calculations that used to take thousands of years, are done in few seconds. Men have surpassed the speed of light. Gene scissors are in the market to protect us from lethal diseases. Carcinogenic diseases are controlled. In this way, there can be no liking for the traditional curriculum that only choked the sane voices. Let us contrast both curricula in some detail.      First is that the traditional curriculum is about books. Books are more important than children. Education is imparted in specialized buildings. There are strict teachers and management. There are fixed classes in a day. Teachers prepare what they have to teach in a particular period. They try their best to complete the syllabi. They, by hook or crook, complete their syllabi and prepare students for examinations while the modern curriculum is child-based. All the focus is diverted upon a child. His or her differences are known in the beginning. His or her psychology is understood so that teaching or learning becomes easy and fruitful. Here, a child is free to learn according to his or her taste. There are no specialized buildings for this curriculum. A child learns everywhere. He is trained in such a way that every experience becomes learning for him. He looks at animals. He doesn’t dread them. But he wants to know how it is created. In case of cow, how she gives milk. How she is mother. In cases of beautiful landscapes, he or she tries to know its Creator. This is the best characteristic of the modern curriculum.       Second is that the traditional curriculum is exam-dominated. Children, from the very beginning, are frightened that they have to pass with flying colors. They are in constant fear that if they don’t get a distinction or a position, they will be treated harshly. They, instead of reading textbooks, find short cut ways to get good marks. In this way, they become addicted to the hand made notes and guides prepared by some unknown persons. They learn questions and answers without knowing their crux. They become good in rote learning. In this way, the marvellous brains are lost in quagmire of nothingness. However, in case of the modern curriculum, there is no space for exams. A child learns different subjects and skills at the same time to be the master of those subjects or skills. He or she is expert in dealing with his or her subject because he or she likes to learn those very subjects. There is no thrust upon them. They learn what they learn. They use their creative powers to go against the views of their teachers. Children don’t believe blindly. Curriculum teaches them to criticize.      Third and last is paper degrees. In the traditional curriculum, degrees matter the most. A teacher without a particular degree is deemed unfit for teaching. However, he or she may be expert in his or her subject but she or he does not possess the required degree, he or she is unfit for that very post. But in case of the modern curriculum, there is no need for paper degrees. A rickshaw puller can be an engineer. A newspaper vendor can be the teacher of Bill Gates. Jack Ma, the founder of Ali Baba, can be the source of inspiration for those who have doctorates in many subjects. Jack Ma knows the real worth of life. He teaches his customers that while studying, I have known how to live real life. He inspires more than the so-called intellectuals of the bygone curriculum.       In short, there should be such kind of curriculum that can know the individual differences in  children. Until and unless the individual differences are unknown, we cannot think of any progress. Let us embrace the curriculum that makes child a child. I request parents and teachers to embrace only that curriculum which is reasonable. Hope good sense prevails!

16 November,2020 issue

Imraan Ibn Farooq sets example despite adversities in life 

Writes Ayesha Omer
(The writer can be reached at journoAish@gmail.com)

“I think continually of those who were truly great….. The name of those who in their lives fought for life,,,Who wore at their hearts the fire’s center.Born of the sun they travelled a sort while towards the sun,And left the vivid air signed with their honour.”
Greatness has always been a mark to aim at. In these rudderless days, when we are misguided by small and fumbling minds, it is not only inspiring but also imperative to “think continuously of those who are truly great.”    Soldiers on forgotten fields of battle, scientists in makeshift laboratories, stubborn idealists fighting to save a lost cause, teachers who would not be intimidated, tireless doctors, journalists  running to cover a story at the risk of their lives some time, the anonymous army of dreamers and doers- all these by their very living fought for everyone. They sacrificed the hours of ease for our casual comforts: they gave up safety for our security. Glorifying the heroic spirit of man, they added to our stature. Out of the shaken world which surrounds us. Spender reminds us of the unsung champions, the struggles and pioneers who were inflamed with a burning belief in humanity, love for work and passion. It is these fire-bringers, children of the light—“born of the sun”—who brought light out of darkness, faith out of confusion, and leaving “the vivid air signed with their honors”, conferred upon us their heritage of hope. All of us have got some dreams and desires in our minds; something that we wish to happen in the future or someone that we desire to be. But often these dreams are left unfulfilled. All credits to that simple yet strong trust on the fate one has, people lack the major factor to achieve their goals, that is hard work. A mere fixation of a dream in the mind does not work. This needs to be backed up with a strong dedication in the mindset to conquer the goal. An optimistic attitude and perseverance for the cause of achieving the goal is the key factor behind success. This is what most people lack in them and thereby fails in the itinerary of their dreams.But today what I am going to share with you is not a story of a successful business tycoon or actor or a politician but a true inspiration for those, whose dreams are shattered with the thoughts of being disable, poor, and not fit for any job, and for those who want to achieve something in life on their own but are not able to establish their own road to success and also for those who thought success comes for free (only dreaming about success) Inspiration that everyone need .A perfect vision is what every goal demands. A true estimation of the pathway one has to follow to achieve the target can yield great results in the long run! All successful people in this world are great dreamers. But the fact that makes them winners and not the others is the amount of perseverance they had towards their dream, and the amount of hard work they had to do in order to achieve that. One of the best examples of this determination and enthusiastic passion and love for work, (our inspirations) is Imraan-ibn-Farooq, recently passed out student of Masters in Convergent Journalism in Central University of Kashmir. A resident of Al- Bustaan colony of Durhama Baramullah next village to the hometown of Late Sujaat Bukhari Sahab. Done his graduation from Degree Collage Baramullah, dreaming to become a true journalist, a helping hand and an inspiration to thousands of people, he started his journey of hard work from early childhood, as life has never been normal for him to conquer his dreams. In early childhood he once had nose bleeding at up to that extend that he was about to fall unconscious one day.  His parents moved from pillar to post to get him to hospital in Srinagar at the earliest. Three hours later, he was diagnosed with Hemophilia at SKIMS. He couldn’t fathom what was happening. All he could see was the crestfallen face of His mother. He asked her, “What is the matter?” She had no answer. On enquiring consistently, he was faced with the revelation. He comes to know that he had Hemophilia. He felt as if somebody pushed him from the edge of a cliff. Something was terribly wrong, yet of course he was so far unaware of what was in store for him. Later on, he came to know that Hemophilia means that his blood lacks aSpecific protein that forms part of the coagulation system. If this protein is present in insufficient quantity, or not at all, the coagulation cascade in the blood is interrupted. Blood coagulation cannot function efficiently. Minor internal injuries can cause major bleeding into the muscles orJoints. Doctors immediately gave a blood transfusion followed by FFP (fresh Frozen plasma) this helps in coagulation of blood. With each passing day, he was recovering eventually bringing smiles on the faces of his family. With grave concerns about his future, they were both happy and Sad at the same time. He had two choices: either give in to the infirmity, or decide to fight the Weakness. He chose the latter. In the course of achieving a dream, one might face a multitude of negativities and oppositions. But the real trick lies in the manner in which the person tackles those oddities and marches ahead in his mission. But the journey till here has never been easy. He might still have vivid memories of neighbors and relatives pitching in the black magic angle. While coming to enquire about his health, they would add to the anxieties of his innocent family members, gullible enough to fall for such nonsense. Here society plays a major role in making a little problem an obstacle in ones life. Schooling was equally arduous. He was same as the other children in the school, yet quite different. Playing the same games like others was not possible, as it included the risk of getting hurt. Once, an injury in his footWhile playing cricket at school made him realize his weakness. The swelling in the ankle joint made him cry in excruciating pain. Though his home was not very far from the school, yet he could not take a single step. All his efforts to muster up his courage and walk were in vain. It wasthen that his elder sister, who studied in the same school, reached the Spot. She took him in her arms and rushed home. The incident, though small, continued to haunt him like a nightmare for a long time. All this caused a bizarre unease in him. He had to bear the Stares of his fellow students, as they came to know he had this ‘strange ‘disease. Although it is not a big deal now, medical science has improved and there is vaccine available to every patient, some need high dose some simple are some are even those who don’t need any vaccine just have to look after their health.) But that time it was not normal and this was an unusual kind of ‘discrimination’ he faced. Even the teachers were informed about it, lest they hit him sometime and add to the woes. At times, there were long spells of time when he was stuck within the peripheries of his home. Things he has experienced in the Years past have reinforced his belief that life with ‘hemophilia’ would never be normal.It was depressing and distressing. Mostly he passed his school exams with low grades. But as they say, there is light at the end of the tunnel. He made a resolve to befriend books and work hard. That was perhaps the only way to turn the tide in his favor. That would be his ticket to a dignified life. Disability exists only in the mind; it was time to overcome it.Twenty years have passed, and his life continues to be an aberration. Conditions were about as adverse as possible. Storms had damaged the little caravel; the Pinta had lost her rudder; the crews of all three vessels were threatening mutiny, and probably Imraan’own confidence in what seemed an insane enterprise was wearing. But he had set his course in the direction which his own institution and logical intelligence led to believe was the right one, and with dogged courage he kept on going. The words are not especially comforting  ones, but these are days when the world is less in need of supine comfort than of high gallantry and faith in an inner integrity. During these times of distress, doubts and weariness, people may well be inspirited by the words of this great hero of life, “Disability only exists in mind; and it’s time to overcome it”. Today, he feels fortunate enough to be pursuing “Masters in convergent Journalism”.  He aspires to be a good journalist and contribute to investigate the truth and for setting an example for the welfare of people fighting any kind of disability. Through this, he wish to speak for him and for those whose disability never stops them from achieving their goals. A strong determination can lead any man to combat all the difficulties in his path and give his best for his goal, it is not the goal you set that matters, but the hard work you do for the same. Not a single dream can be achieved without putting in the necessary efforts. It is, therefore, wiser to give the best output from one’s side in order to achieve the dreams rather than blaming the luck in the later phase. Not a single dream is unachievable unless it is backed up with perfect passion. It is one of the most common follies to assume that success always comes first and success should be the only outcome of any endeavor. If you look at it objectively, you will be amazed at why people should think that any accomplishment can come without any failures? It is humanly impossible to ensure that every step in any achievement will always be successful and lead to ultimate success. Determination to achieve success and the fortitude to withstand and learn can only ensure success in the long run. Imraan Ibn Farooq has now started working as a Managing editor for “KHABAR URDU” & has worked for Roznama wadi-e- Kashmir, & this is only his beginning of having the fruits of the tree he planted with hard work, patience and determination. Not only this he is running Multiple face book pages, Imraan Farooq Page, DW Media with 2.4k followers and more than 10k views in just 2 months, and also Peace news .He is also a you tuber and want to share the best content one need in these times .And for those who have almost forgotten the sweetness of their religion and humanity, is in dire need of golden thoughts. He owns 2 you tube channels “Pacific creators”, & “journo Imraan”. Despite this he is helping many new you tubers in editing and managing process, their videos and share the best content. And inspiring new youth to join him in search of truth and fair content for betterment of society. He is inspiring many new ideas and people with differently able specialties to come forward and make their future bright. He is owner of a webpage www.dwmedia.co.in  and tries to bring the best. Here I remember a Quote of Robert Louis Stevenson, “Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day.” One of the most appalling comments on our present way of life is that half of all our hospital beds are occupied by patients with nervous and mental troubles. And a principal cause is that too many people allow themselves to collapse under the crushing burdens of accumulated yesterday and fearful tomorrows. Here is the problem: You and I are standing in these split seconds at the meeting place of two eternities-the vast past that has endured forever and the future that is plunging on to the last syllable of recorded time. We often try to do so; and in the process, we wreck both our bodies and our minds. The answer is to live for today .Of course; it may be a part of today’s work calls for reviewing the past, or planning for tomorrow. But there’s no excuse for doing so with pain or regret. Instead of we should get the fact and push on from there. Today is the only time we can live. Let’s not turn it into a physical and mental hell by aimless worries about the future let’s also stop fretting over the blunders we made yesterday.              Remember how a walking trip always seems shorter if we concentrate. Not on the total distance to our destination, but just the distance to the next milepost. In the same way, we should concentrate on living within today. Then better tomorrow will inevitably follow. Same in today’s inspiring tale where dreams come across a milepost to reach his destination and the glories ahead. Being a journalist Imraan is happy to serve his passion and also living a live within the shades the Deen (Islam).                “He that loses wealth loses much;                  But he that loses courage loses all,                  Just as tall trees are known by their shadows;                  So are good men known by their struggle.”

Keeping Bad Company

Suhaib Ashraf Bhat
Friendship and companionship are important things.  A good friend is one who accepts your shortcomings, but at the same time guides and supports you.  A good friend is one who accommodates your faults but corrects them where possible.  A good friend is one who will love and forgive you for the sake of Allah swt. It is important to choose your friends carefully.  Prophet Muhammad Salalahualihiwasalam warned the believers about this too.  He said that a person would be influenced by his friends, and he warned that everyone should look carefully at those they consider to be their friends. What we can understand from this is that it is easy to be influenced by the people around us.  It is easy to take on their mannerisms and qualities without even being aware of it.  If these are good qualities then it is a good thing but what if the people you consider friends have pushed you away from the remembrance of Allah swt?  This could be a disaster, and Allah swt warns about it in the Quran.
“And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer (oppressor, polytheist etc.) will bite on his hand, he will say: ‘Oh!  Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger.  Ah!  Woe to me!  Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend!  He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (the Quran) after it had come to me.’” (Quran 25:27)
Unnecessary companionship is a chronic disease that causes much harm. How often have the wrong kind of companionship and intermixing deprived people of Allah swt’s generosity, planting discord in their hearts which even the passage of time-even if it were long enough for mountains to be worn away-has been unable to dispel. In keeping such company one can find the roots of loss, both in this life and in the next life.
A servant should benefit from companionship. In order to do so he should divide people into four categories, and be careful not to get them mixed up, for once one of them is mixed with another, then evil can find its way through to him:
The first category is those people whose company is like food: it is indispensable, night or day. Once a servant has taken his need from it, he leaves it be until he requires it again, and so on. These are the people with knowledge of Allah-of His commands, of the scheming of His enemies, and of the diseases of the heart and their remedies- who wish well for Allah swt, His Prophet salalahualihiwasalam and His servants. Associating with this type of person is an achievement in itself.
The second category is those people whose company is like a medicine. They are only required when a disease sets in. When you are healthy, you have no need of them. However, mixing with them is sometimes necessary for your livelihood, businesses, consultation and the like. Once what you need from them has been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided.
The third category is those people whose company is harmful. Mixing with this type of person is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees and strengths and weaknesses. Associating with one or some of them is like an incurable chronic disease. You will never profit either in this life or in the next life if you have them for company, and you will surely lose either one or both of your religion and your livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and is established, then it becomes a fatal, terrifying sickness.
Amongst such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you. They do not know their souls and consequently put their selves in their rightful place. If they speak, their words fall on their listeners’ hearts like the lashes of a cane, while all the while they are full of admiration for and delight in their own words.
They cause distress to those in their company, while believing that they are the sweet scent of the gathering. All in all, mixing with anyone who is bad for the soul will not last, even if it is unavoidable. It can be one of the most distressing aspects of a servant’s life that he is plagued by such person, with whom it may be necessary to associate. In such a relationship, a servant should cling to good behaviour, only presenting him with his outward appearance, while disguising his inner soul, until Allah swt offers him a way out of his affliction and the means of escape from this situation.
The fourth category is those people whose company is doom itself. It is like taking poison: its victim either finds an antidote or perishes. Many people belong to this category. They are the people of religious innovation and misguidance, those who abandon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and advocate other beliefs. They call what is the Sunnah a bid’ah and vice-versa. A man with any intellect should not sit in their assemblies nor mix with them. The result of doing so will either be the death of his heart or, at the very best, its falling seriously ill.One of the most important things we must do, which sadly many people neglect, is that we should avoid bad company. 
We should seek out pious friends who fear Allah swt and who have the qualities of humility, charity, compassion, modesty and knowledge.  If we sit with them we will always benefit and they will be a means for us to get closer to Allah swt.
Suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com

November 9 issue,2020

 THE INSTITUTION OF FAMILY IS  ON THE VERGE OF DESTRUCTION

By Syed Mustafa Ahmad

Now and then, I come across families that were happy once but now yearning for cooperation and love. In this way, family assumes importance in shaping the personality of an individual. Without family, it is  impossible that a true personality is made. Family has a long history. That is why its importance has never been underestimated. After wandering for thousands of years, a man settled at a particular place and began to live a social life. He began to recognize other persons like him. He made relations with different people and among themselves ( his father, mother, sister, brother). Slowly and steadily, they began to know the importance of living together. With this recognition, came the concept of family. Family totally was a new experience for him. He now began to feel secure among his family members. His emotional maturity began to develop. He began to love human beings. In this way, the glorious revolution came in the society when the foundation of family was laid. Now, all the fears were the things of the past. There was something to look at in the times of despair. There was no aloneness. There was sharing and caring. So, a different mindset was prepared for the future generations.      The man keep embarking on this path for quite a long time. But suddenly this journey came to halt. The family system lost its way somewhere. It was not like a bolt from the blue. It was the rot of many decades that came to the surface. There are many causes responsible for this. So, let us know some basic causes.      First is mad race for materialism that has made it possible. The lust for money has made it possible that a person only is about money. In the past, a single member used to earn while others used to be depended upon him or her. But in the present, when the conditions become awry, the members who don’t earn, are looked down. They are humiliated. They, if being intellectually efficient, are sidelined because they don’t have money in their pockets. In this way, the bond of love and affection becomes  the soft target of materialism. The result is that the happy-living families are  disintegrated into number of nuclear families.       Second is that imitation has become the order of the day. We look at others and follow them blindly. In movies and dramas,  we come across people abandoning the joint families and preferring to live in the nuclear families. In this way, the structure of the joint families crumbles everyday.        Third modern age. Modern age has provided us with every comfort. Diseases are cured but it has given rise to a different type of division of labor. Now both a father and a mother go to work. Children are sent to schools. New lifestyle has become common everywhere. In this way, a nuclear family is preferred over a joint family.       Fourth is that the old people are understood as a useless burden. They are only fed and washed. In this way, the joint family systems are broken into many nuclear families. The old parents, who have nurtured their children in the best possible manner, are thrown out to others’ hands. In our village, a mother has become a burden for two sons. She has been living with her daughter for two years. It is a collective shame for us. She says,” I did what I could for my children, particularly the two sons. Now, they don’t want me. They call me a useless burden. My basic needs are unfulfilled. I crave for my sons’ faces. They hardly come to me. They want me to die. I am fed up with this life. I want to die. I cannot tolerate this humiliation. “.      Fifth is is that we have no counsellors, who can teach those persons who always are ready to live in a nuclear family. If they had been here, I think the situation would not have come to such impasse. At the time of intense conflicts in a family, anger and revenge prevail. After some time, there only is regret. At this situation, expert counsellors can prove fruitful. They can advise them that it is bad to split into a number of families, for petty things.        Sixth and  last  is that we have lost touch with the actual world. As we have not been able to understand the real motive of life, we feel suffocated. We are misfits in a society. we don’t  want anyone to come near to us. We want to live in isolation. In this manner, the whole concept of family has come to standstill.       Let us hope that the family system in particular and the joint family system in general is revived. We are social human beings. We should live side by side. Living in a society is beneficial. Let us ponder over it. 

9 November issue

IslamophobiaSuhaib Ashraf Bhat 

Free speech or Fire speech?

Lets first talk about what is Islam?Islam is based on humanity, The Islamic view of humanity is filled with mercy and compassion, and it cannot be otherwise, because the Islamic religion is the last of the religions that were prescribed by Allah swt, may He be exalted, and He commanded all of mankind to enter this religion. He revealed this religion and sent it down to the most compassionate of mankind, Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him). This is confirmed in the Book of Allah swt, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)”[al-Anbiya’ 21:107]. 
Islam advises us to treat neighbours kindly, even if they are not Muslim.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah swt have mercy on him) said:
I say: based on that, kind treatment of neighbours is enjoined and is recommended, whether they are Muslim or not. And this is the right thing to do. Kind treatment may be in the sense of helping or it may be in the sense of being kind, refraining from annoyance and standing by them. Al-Bukhaari narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “Jibreel kept urging me to treat neighbours kindly until I thought that he would make them heirs.” And it was narrated from Abu Shurayh that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) said: “By Allah swt, he does not believe; by Allah swt, he does not believe; by Allah swt, he does not believe.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah swt, who is that? He said: “The one whose neighbour is not safe from his annoyance.” This is general in meaning and applies to all neighbours, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah swt be upon him) affirmed that the neighbour should not be annoyed by swearing three times and stating that the one who annoys his neighbour is not a believer in the complete sense. Concerning that Allah swt, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah swt does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily,  Allah swt loves those who deal with equity” [al-Mumtahanah 60:8].
It is not part of Islam to force the non-Muslim to enter this religion, because sincerity is one of the conditions of accepting Islam. And Allah swt, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“There is no compulsion in religion” [al-Baqarah 2:256].
Facebook on October 12 announced it would remove all content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust.”This expansion of its hate speech policies is a response to ‘the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people’, said the company but when it comes to the Islam they will not ban any content which hurt Muslim’s sentiments.  Muslims across the world have reacted furiously to French President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of free speech after a French school teacher who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (Salalahualihiwasalam) was killed. It’s not the first time we are seeing rise of Islamphobia across the globe and when Muslims reacts to it they are called as extremists. Islamophobia is created when a person doesn’t properly understand what Muslims do or believe, and that the best way to combat it is to have a better understanding of Muslims and Islam. Nowadays the media, in all its forms and with all its tentacles, has the ability to easily construct a negative image of Islam and Muslims.  Creating news and opining instead of reporting has given people the ability to choose the channel that agrees with their views.  Thus whole populations are no longer exposed to other viewpoints.  There is nothing that encourages them to understand and empathize with the situations and lifestyles of diverse cultures, or even with their neighbours who have opinions that are different to the ones they hold dear. When you add social media to the already volatile mix, we find that Muslims endure daily racial slurs, degrading photos, intimidations, and harassment campaigns.  The structure of social media and each platform’s reliance on algorithms means that those with extremist views are able to connect to each other with ease.  It also means that deceptions about Muslims often live on even after being exposed.
Islam is a religion of more than 1.8 billion people, from widely diverse cultures, and consequently they cannot be lumped into one homogenous package. We must stop saying or thinking that everyone in this package (that doesn’t exist) is violent or threatening. We must start to separate vigilance in regard to terror from Islamophobia.  The media refers to “Muslim migration” with terms like, pests, plagues, and deluge.  This must stop. 
In conclusion, people across the globe must learn to look at their media in a different light.  We must learn how to separate the truth from the fiction, and the facts from opinions.  We need to choose our news outlets wisely and try to watch or read from across a wide array of viewpoints and understandings.

The writer can be emailed at : Suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com