IS TEACHERS DAY REALLY HONOUR OUR TEACHERS?

My thoughts on this Teacher's Day:

For some time now I have hesitated in updating my employment status. I have worked with university students previously but this year i decided to work in a school. I currently work as a reading specialist at an IB school. I am shocked (read: disappointed) at the comments of so many people around me about my new job. Comments like "you just did your masters, why are you working in a school?" Or "Why don't you join a real organization?" What I fail to understand is...why should I not be entrusted with the future brains of my country after I have a masters degree in hand? Should i have been less educated to teach your children?

Parents in Pakistan want the best education for their children, they want the best teachers, they will go to great lengths to educate their children and bear an immense financial burden-a nation obsessed with grades- but when you tell someone you are a teacher, they are not impressed...what is this hypocrisy? And what exactly is a "real" job? What is more real than educating a child? What is more real than helping a child learn as he/she struggles with learning something that we all now take for granted? There was a time you couldn't say "cat"...someone taught you that...someone literally broke it down for you into "k" "a" "t" .

Pakistanis are very quick to say that education is one of the biggest problems facing this country yet teaching doesn't get the respect it deserves. Teaching is exhausting- one is constantly giving and adjusting to the diverse needs of every single child and then they say "you are just a teacher?"

Teaching is not about going into a room and delivering a lesson- its about relationships- everyone we know has been impacted by a teacher in one way or the other. Yes, we all may have had that one horrible teacher but there's good and bad people in every profession.

When I was a grad student in Chicago, my dorm was next to a school, I passed by it every day for my daily walk to class- I was amazed to see benches and trees planted in honor of teachers' service..."this bench is dedicated to etc etc for her 10 years of service at etc etc school ". I cannot think of a more beautiful gesture.

The education system needs serious reform and we all need to come together on this in the best way we can. There is a lot of talk of "alternative education" which caters to the creative side of every child- why is this "alternative"? This should be mainstream education and then we wouldn't need an alternative! Given the right environment every child can thrive and excel and teachers are essential for this process.

Teaching and teachers need to get the respect they deserve or more people will join "real" organizations, leaving behind the not so educated to teach our country's future.

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IS CELEBRATING NEW ISLAMIC YEAR IS A RIGHT THING TO DO ?

It is shameful and embarrassing that in 2017 Muslims around the world continue to celebrate and 

congratulate one another upon the arrival of the Islamic New Year, when in fact the entire Muslim community should be mourning the martyrdom of the grandson of the Holy Prophet (saw), Imam Hussain bin Ali (as), who was butchered on the plains of Karbala along with his family and companions.

We are constantly told that this happened 1400 years ago and thus should not be given such importance or attention. However, the Qur'an sets a precedent when it highlights to us that even to the nascent Muslim community, reflecting on the events of Jesus, Moses, Abraham and Noah was fundamental to their growth and development despite occurring thousands of years earlier.

The 10 nights of Muharram should be widely recognised as a period of mourning for each and every lover of the Holy Prophet (saw) as he himself cried over the atrocities that befell his grandchildren years before the incident took place.

"Anas bin Malik said, "The head of Al-Husain was brought to 'Ubaidullah bin Ziyad and was put in a tray, and then Ibn Ziyad started playing with a stick at the nose and mouth of Al-Husain's head and saying something about his handsome features." Anas then said (to him), "Al-Husain resembled the Prophet more than the others did." Anas added, "His (i.e. Al-Husain's) hair was dyed with Wasma (i.e. a kind of plant used as a dye)."

Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3748
In-book reference : Book 62, Hadith 95

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