Muzungu
01-28-2010, 12:03 AM
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Senate chairman's proposal to make Arabic mandatory at schools is laudable, and its criticism by Shakir Lakhani (January 27) is untenable. Could I ask him if they have ever pondered as to why our politico-religious parties that never let go of an opportunity to agitate in the name of Islam, shariah and Yahood-o-Hunood conspiracy against Islam have never moved a bill in parliament or brought the masses to the streets for making Arabic a compulsory subject for Muslim students in schools? They haven't because they know that by the time a student passed his/her matriculation examination he/she would be able to understand the Quran fairly well. And, a graduate and post-graduate will be able to even interpret it on his/her own. Would the maulvi in that case not lose his papal hegemony over the masses? Can he afford to lose it?
Col (r) Riaz Jafri
Rawalpindi
*****
I disagree with the proposal of making Arabic compulsory at schools. Our academic standards are fairly low. To add yet another subject like Arabic will burden our students who already are showing very poor results. Gen Ziaul Haq made this proposal in one of his cabinet meetings, and he was snubbed by Gen Fazle Haq. That shut up the proposer.
Miangul Aurangzeb
Swat
The Senate chairman's proposal to make Arabic mandatory at schools is laudable, and its criticism by Shakir Lakhani (January 27) is untenable. Could I ask him if they have ever pondered as to why our politico-religious parties that never let go of an opportunity to agitate in the name of Islam, shariah and Yahood-o-Hunood conspiracy against Islam have never moved a bill in parliament or brought the masses to the streets for making Arabic a compulsory subject for Muslim students in schools? They haven't because they know that by the time a student passed his/her matriculation examination he/she would be able to understand the Quran fairly well. And, a graduate and post-graduate will be able to even interpret it on his/her own. Would the maulvi in that case not lose his papal hegemony over the masses? Can he afford to lose it?
Col (r) Riaz Jafri
Rawalpindi
*****
I disagree with the proposal of making Arabic compulsory at schools. Our academic standards are fairly low. To add yet another subject like Arabic will burden our students who already are showing very poor results. Gen Ziaul Haq made this proposal in one of his cabinet meetings, and he was snubbed by Gen Fazle Haq. That shut up the proposer.
Miangul Aurangzeb
Swat