Dr Muhammad Maroof Shah

What is news today?  What constitutes the  headlines in today’s newspaper? What is the focus of today’s morning or evening show on TV? With what are we bombarded day in and day out by news channels? Let us ask this question to likes of Marx and we will understand why and how news is made and what makes it sellable.  Let’s minimize the focus on education sector and raise  a question about how much this sector should be in news and how much attention does it get in reality. Let’s question the absence of this beat from the media products. Let’s question our level of responsibility and conscience, if we claim that we care. And finally, let’s suggest means to highlight follies in education system and make this field newsworthy. Universities students are unhappy over nonexistence of academic culture in their respective institution. Only an insignificant percentage of students is really motivated to learn-rest study by compulsion. Caged they feel most of the times while listening to lec

Have we ever wondered that God chose to imprint knowledge of basic mathematical truths in our heart and we know them without even learning? There are so few a people in Kashmir whom one could discuss philosophy with, and fewer with whom one could learn on philosophy of science, especially philosophy of mathematics. There are intellectuals who are informed on many things but hardly any who have such an insight into the spirit of the times that requires taking deep cognizance of  assumptions informing the World of Science. There are a lot of political analysts and columnists in Kashmir but only very rarely can we spot one who is gifted with objectivity of a scientist – not just a social scientist – in his brilliant analyses. Kashmir has many good doctors, engineers, other professionals but very few good mathematicians and even fewer mathematicians who can explain to a lay audience art and science of it and introduce its wonder and beauty in such a scintillating fashion.  We don’t have

Life in Kashmir is difficult. Every family seems at war within, a war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, between the daughter-in-law and groom’s sisters and between the husband and his wife, as an aftereffect.There are tragic stories to narrate in almost every house. Only exceptionally, will there be a   Hash (Mother in Law)   blessing the   Nosh (Daughter-in-law)   and vice versa.Divorces are increasing. Parents are often the worst victims of this conflict and there is pressure on limited resources for accommodating new houses.Individualism is the ‘cancer’ of the soul that is eating the vitals of our society. There is universal mistrust about groom’s family. Brides don’t feel that new house belongs to them. They think only their husbands or children are really theirs. Enormous popularity of Soap Opera culture and perception regarding black magic attributed to either party is seemingly becoming a norm.Explanations and counter-explanations from either side are such confusing a

Art Works and Art Criticism of Wasim Mushtaq Wani Most of us are unfortunately blind to the world of art, and it means virtually blind to an aspect of experience. It means we don’t live or enjoy life, or understand expressions of divine life fully. Our education is faulty. We don’t teach or cultivate the faculty for art in ourselves. Granted almost universal alienation implying our inability to devote ourselves to what we have been compelled to do and thus failure to make things beautifully (that is the real definition of art) we could at least try to understand what beauty of art world lies before us or survives in certain forms today in the work of contemporary artists.  Seeing the works of great art is such an important part of education and if we fail to provide to our children it means our fees spent on education is not well spent. We produce colour blind, form blind children. Ask any student around to name 5 great artists and their works and you will be greeted, generally speak

THE ENIGMA OF OSHO Perennial Philosophy in the Postmodern World Published by: INDIAN PUBLISHERS DISTRIBUTORS NEW DELHI This book is an attempt to respond to the mess in which modern man finds himself by exploring resources from perennial philosophy and its postmodern adaptation in Osho's postmetaphysical and nontraditional mystical thought. It attempts to present his reading/misreading of the tradition, highlight some of his unique features as an expositor of mysticism for an audience moulded or influenced by the modern and postmodern thought currents, make a comparative study of some of his ideas and make "sense" of his apparently nonsenscial worldview. It critically situates him in the context of the world community of sages and saints of whom he seeks to be an interpreter. It discusses his originality, his radicalism, his invaluable insights, his strengths and his limitations and his proposed manifesto for creating the new man and supraformal religiosity. 

I am aware that everything against democracy sounds a species of heresy. I am also aware of Amryta Sen and some other thinkers who claim that every fight for rights or justice can be fought in the name of democracy and thus the democracy remains an Absolute. But let us not forget that any form of democracy would warrant an analysis or possible critique if we are true to the spirit behind democracy which is collective welfare based on justice. Many religious thinkers, especially modernists, Muslim modernists have invoked democracy but let us call it theodemocracy and that makes a huge difference. We know the Left has always been critical of so-called democracy serving the class interests. One can invoke Hebermasian idea of Ideal Speech Community so brilliantly illustrated in a film  Twelve Angry Men  to emphasize the need for more informed and articulate public for better success of democracy in delivering public goods. One must also consider the argument that the best of ancients – k

I think the best approach is to let the great traditional authorities say what exactly is the religious position with regard to evolution Is there a way for untangling confusions and controversies on the question of Religion and Evolution? Let us ask those who are best informed on religious position – traditionalist scholars – today. There are all kinds of theses like Islam accepts evolutionary account or is silent about it or categorically rejects it. Even big names take one of the theses and students can’t be faulted for confusion. From Harun Yaha to Zakir Naik, there is an opposition based on theological reading and from Iqbal to Azad and amongst the more recent Western scholars often quoted by Muslims, Maurice Boucaille there is certain  degree of acceptance of mainstream evolutionary thesis. I think the best approach is to let the great traditional authorities say what exactly is the religious position with regard to it. But unfortunately such authorities use difficult langu