Saima Sher Fazal

Intent makes news: Its very important for us as readers and viewers to understand that when modern media franchises claim neutrality in reporting news, such a claim is never truly verifiable or conclusive. The news worthiness of any ‘news’ is decided by the policy makers dependant on their policy. Which explicitly outlines the  ‘slant’ ( focus)  news should have to make it sellable. None of it is new to this world. Many are aware of this intentional focus on specific issues. What everyone is not aware of is the effect of spreading a specific ‘focus’ daily on a mass level. Chomsky has been discussing this ‘ manufacturing of consent’ and ‘creation of news worthiness’ for decades now. The subtle trickling and manufacturing of a specific focus throughout generations has actually succeeded in creating a reality overflowing with resentment , vengeance and hopelessness. Our collective psyche as a nation has become that of an ‘Anti-social Narcissist’. We see the bug buzzing an

Bias, partiality and modern science: I don’t think we should fear partiality or biases, they are but a very natural ideological phenomenon. A human limitation and necessity to grapple with an ever changing dynamic reality. A human being is able to survive only because of this ability to limit and define his partiality. It’s our inability to admit to our biases and the consequent ostracisation of our thinking patterns  that becomes problematic. The partiality an individual shows is actually quite necessary in defining that person, his culture and  his society. A direct link to the very live and ever growing collective stream of thought a society is developing and has developed. It’s not a linear phenomenon. It cannot be measured or read. It has to be seen and the only way to change the path a collective stream of thought has taken is to affect it collectively. Individual biases give into collective biases losing their own shape. The strength of an individual bias can actual

The idols we worship: The only difference between our idols and the Greek or Hindu idols is that our s are still living so we haven’t actually carved stone statues out of them. We love to give pedestals to mortals, raise them above ourselves. Admire them. Copy them. Please them and when they get tired and try getting off the pedestal ( inevitable as it is being mortal), We hold them to it. Strapped in tightly. Then we give them electric shocks to revive them to come up to our dreamt up glory for them. Idols are the desires which we let loose on society after breeding them long and silently in our diseased, tattered souls. The hidden Gods we hold so dear. The height of human folly is not in bowing to a stone statue, that is merely a consequence. Our greatest folly is in surrendering to our own will! We are but just a dot in a huge design. A dot trying to be the design. Not attempting to understand the will of the creator. It’s about His will, not ours! #havefaith

The Generation gap and us; Unschooling the schooled mind: Some truths need time to sink in. Everyone does not reach them at the same speed. It doesn’t matter who is faster what’s  more important is that we walk the path together. There is no generation gap, there is no huge difference. It’s just the angle of our perception which has become more selective. Truths remain the same throughout time. Only perspectives progress or regress. It’s in the middle somewhere where we find our peace. In our unity lies our freedom. To be one for one! زمانہ ایک ، حیات ایک، کائنات بھی ایک دلیلِ کم نظری قصہ جدید و قدیم ۔ #havefaith #surrender

‘To do’ is ‘to know’: It’s hightime that our obsession in marrying knowledge with a degree was addressed and resolved. No one can deny that specialising in a specific area of interest should be possible but to attach a stamp of Knowledge to every degree holder and to make them the  judges of what should be known and what knowledge is! That! Is something which is very problematic! The whole seerah/ life of our Prophet redefined what knowledge is for us. The prophet ( Saw) was not an Alim, not a poet, not a writer nor a specialist in any specific area of knowledge. He was a messenger of divine Knowledge. The source, the base! He did what he was taught! He was illiterate yet when told by Gabriel to “iqra”. He read!(verb;recited) “ the revelation suddenly came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him while he was in the cave and said, "Read!'' The Messenger of Allah said, (I replied: "I am not one who reads.) Then he said, &qu

The ordered and structured position of molecules in a substance is known as ‘lattice’. The molecules keep moving in every substance yet the ‘ lattice’ works as a shaping or structuring force or pattern. There is a pattern, a structure, an order to every single aspect of life in this world. The pattern is the same, the mark is of but one designer! There is a key to every secret, a step in every structure. And to each ‘lattice’ the key is in surrender! #havefaith #surrender

Back to the basics: Nowadays we often tend to disregard the importance and influence of language as a primary medium for Communication. Comparing the evolution of different words in English, Urdu and Arabic I came across a distinct selective or a rather ostracising element/tone in languages belonging to some specific races or cultures. It’s us the people who use the  means or mediums to Communicate with each other and in doing so try to make our medium/ mode as effective as possible. Effectiveness of a medium is directly related to whatever was the aim of that Communication. If the aim was to control, the language as a medium to Control will become more and more ostracised with each step up the ladder of power. If the aim is to better a society and its people then language becomes merely a facilitating and inclusive tool which makes easier to value togetherness than to celebrate exclusivity!