Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
COVID-19
in 2020
Covid-19, the global virus changed 2020 that we were not prepared for. We never thought that the year will prove as depressive, tough, hard, simply different from recent years of our lives. In 2020, we all have learned so many things, attitude and foremost our weakness. This year also added some new words in our vocabulary such as lockdown, quarantine, social distancing, social isolation and so on for the very first time in our life.
Like every coin has two sides, COVID-19 also has its own such as it exposes our strengths as well as our weaknesses, it exposed the lacunas we have in not only our system, but within ourselves.
If we recall from the day when lockdown was officially announced we all just hopeless and fighting with our demons in the form of negative thoughts, import/export stopped, people lost their jobs, travelling stopped every person in this world feel as paralyzed, the whole economic system collapsed globally, people become more sensitive while facing fatal diseases such as depression, high blood pressure and the list is quite long. This is the bad picture of Covid-19 that is depicting hopelessness globally.
There are some positive aspects of this deadly virus as well. It made us realize that we are here in this world for a limited time and we do not even know when it will end, so, we should prioritize what must be done earlier. A few important lessons that we have learned this year are: we must have enough savings that we can survive for at least 6 months; we must learn some productive skills as we never know what tomorrow brings. Last but not the least, never take something for granted. Be grateful for what you have.
RIMSHA REHMAN
Islamabad
Issues of education
I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities through the columns of your estimated newspaper toward an extremely vital problem of our society i.e. education. Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the destiny of nations. As the authorities concerned may know that many students are dreaming to become a doctor, teacher or an engineer, but they can’t because of low standard of our education.
They are not able to do their work properly because the education institutions have not brought them up in a proper way. It is sorry to say that nowadays the education system has become a source of minting money for some (greedy) people. For the development and progress of our nation, our education system should be reviewed and made up to date.
Ch Abdul Raheem
Karachi
Help the poor
The coronavirus outbreak has rendered many people jobless while some are distressed and not able to go out to earn bread and butter. During such a hard time, we Pakistanis have a responsibility to donate generously. However, keeping in mind social distancing norms and the fear of contracting the virus, many people are confused regarding how to make donations.
It was a cause of concern for me about how to make donations safely with the ever-increasing corona cases in Pakistan. This is where digital financial services and their ability to disburse donations come into play. Platforms have enabled privileged members of society to help many deserving people. These innovative and convenient digital payment services give us a user-friendly platform through which we can donate from the comfort of our homes. Financial institutions have come across a long way to provide support for financial relief efforts in Pakistan. To date, customers have donated millions of rupees to beneficiaries under various initiatives during this pandemic. The potential of banks and fintech companies is massive, and the way they have helped us in keeping our traditional ways of helping each other alive, at the time of need is appreciable.
MIRZA BAKAR
Via email
Rising of Islamophobia
It is often considered Muslim and Islam as phobia all around the world although it’s not. We have seen Islamophobia rate is increasing in foreign countries specially in France nowadays; they have banned Islamic studies in their state and fix punishment for those parents who will not send their children in government school just because to convert their minds from Islamic religion. Now that the media’s attention has zoomed in on Islamophobia, Muslims must seize the opportunity, build on it and not just wallow in a sea of frustration, sense of victimisation and despair. It is time to be proactive, rather than reactive. To feel confident in our identity and overcome differences among ourselves.
PM Imran Khan addressed the 75th session of the UN General Assembly and talked about rising Islamophobia around the world. In India alone, anti-Muslim sentiments have reached new heights. While we all know that in India anti-Muslim policies are promoted by the state, the hatred for the Muslims in the West is stirred by the most atrocious and vicious activities perpetuated by militant groups in the name of Islam. As a result, all Muslims are considered violent and aggressive.
There is a dire need to address the rising Islamophobia through establishing a channel of dialogue between the Muslim and the West. Such communication channels will explain that violent people who justify atrocities in the name of Islam do not represent the majority of the Muslims. In reality, such groups have gained advantage of the miserable socio-economic and political conditions across the Muslim world.
SUMMAN MUJEEB
Karachi
Metropolitan issues
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I want to express my concern over the problems in our city which was once called the city of lights. The list of the issues is a long one but I would focus only on a few of them which are enormously devastating our surroundings i.e. air pollution, lack of proper waste management infrastructure and degradation of water bodies.
Apart from the issues, mentioned above, another issue that citizens of Karachi are facing is the security issue. According to BBC News, Karachi has earned a reputation as Pakistan’s most dangerous city due to high rates of gang violence. Therefore, the issues are undoubtedly grave but at the same time they warrant a solution. Under the circumstances, we appeal to the concerned authorities to take fruitful/timely measures to nip the evil in the bud. Law itself is not enough to stop this until and unless each and every individual becomes aware and conscious of what is happening.
Soniya Behram
Karachi
