Azka's Writeups

  Book: Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling Authors: John Taylor Gatto Length: 106 pages Published by: New Society Publishers, USA Year of publication: 1992 The foreword for this non-fiction controversy, by Thomas Moore is enough to tell us about the author; John Taylor Gatto. Moore describes Gatto as his and his father’s inspiration. Gatto an award winning teacher, first worked as a copywriter and it would be interesting for you to read for yourselves what prompted him into school teaching. It is surprising in this case, firstly, that Gatto dedicated the book to his daughter and granddaughter instead of a student or teacher, as usually would have been, coming from a teacher, and secondly that the book is a strict criticism on the schooling system and the fact that it has been made compulsory. ‘…It should be seen as a book that wrote itself’ Gatto reveals in the acknowledgments section. All 5 chapters of this book are based off Gatto’s learn...

The historical play Dirillis: Ertugrul has become a fever for many. It was quoted as ‘a silent ticking bomb’. Even with a high degree of fictional content, dramatization, few things against Shariah injunctions it aptly tries to portray Muslim prestige and their constant struggle for the prevalence of Islam. It accurately depicts major historical events and their outcomes to some extent.  I had not been able to feel the importance of the establishment of Khilafah nor was I able to realize why a large number of subcontinental Muslims would react rashly to its end, when I was studying History as a subject. But this series gave me an idea of the concept, one which I was keen on exploring.  All through the series, we witness Ertugrul’s personal sacrifice. We witness the many people who die in the way of Truth. And from that, from the ashes of many broken states rises yet again a Khilafah, the last one to be- the Ottoman Empire.  The world before the Ottoman Empire was no diffe...

Set in the 13 th century this Turkish series closely follows the activities of Ertugral Ghazi, father of the first Ottoman Emperor; Osman I. I have only made it through the  first –of five- seasons and am hooked.  The reasons are not just the excellent casting, filmography, dubbing and sceneries, but also the fact that I had learnt numerous lessons through only 30 episodes. I feel it is a must watch, especially for young Muslims today and here is why I feel so: It tells us about our history, historic figures and different cultures From the culture of the Turkish tribes, the lifestyle of the Ayyubid royalty to the amazing picturization of historic events, everything is appreciable. It contains powerful historic characters like the knowledgeable Ibn al Arabi and Sheikh Moinuddin Chisti. A character of much interest was the Ayyubid Sultan, Al-Aziz, grandson of the Great Salahuddin Ayyubi. He was indeed a great poet but an unfit ruler which you will be able to see w...

On Tuesday 28th August 2018, I payed my first visit to a cinema. I wondered what the experience would be like but the film I watched was worth it! I just couldn't get over the movie so I had to write a review.... Title: Parwaaz Hai Junoon (Flight Is Passion) Producer: Momina and Duraid Productions Writer: Farhat Ishtiaq Genre: Patriotism Cast: Hania Amir as Sania Hamza Ali Abbasi as Hamza Ahad Raza Mir as Saad Shafaat Ali as Zaid Sikandar Vincent as Rashid Minhas Yousufzai Kubra Khan as Fiza Shaz Khan as Nadir Kermani Marina Khan as Sania's mother Hina Binat as Hamza's mother Asif Raza Mir as Hamza's father Review: The producers and writer of Bin Roye Aansu 2015 (Uncried tears) reunite once again for another heart warming film; Parwaaz Hai Junoon. As the title suggests the movie revolves around fighter pilots and PAF (Pakistan Air Force) cadets. Like Farhat Ishtiaq's novels Mata e Jaan (My Precious) and Hamsafr (Fellow Traveller/ Life Partener)...