Weekly News Round-Up (13th– 19th March)
This week in the news, find out about Javed Miandad’s induction into the PCB Hall of Fame, why Pakistani netizens are outraged, what the UN plans on doing to combat rising Islamophobia and more! Read on to find out all the news you’ve missed this week.
UN Adopts Pakistan’s Resolution To Mark 15th March As The International Day To Combat Islamophobia
This week in global news, on Tuesday the 15th of March Members of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by Pakistan to mark the annual day on 15 March, the anniversary of the 2019 attack on two mosques in New Zealand which left 51 people dead. ‘The resolution was supported by 55 Muslim-majority countries of the Riyadh-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, Algeria, Morocco and many other countries in the Gulf and North Africa. But it was also co-sponsored by a number of other states including Russia and China, drawing condemnation by Uighur activists. Representatives from France and India, which have also faced accusations of Islamophobia by their own Muslim communities, both spoke against the resolution, though neither opposed its adoption by consensus.’ (Source: Middle East Eye)
Taliban Allow Girls In Afghanistan To Attend School From Next Week
The Taliban will allow girls in Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open next week, an education official said, after months of uncertainty over whether the new rulers would allow full access to education for girls and women. “All schools are going to open to all boys and girls,” Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, said. “But there are some conditions for girls,” he said, adding that female students would be taught separately from males and only by female teachers. In some rural areas where there was a shortage of female teachers, he said older male teachers would be allowed to teach girls. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, they banned female education and most employment. Since regaining power, boys and men have returned to education in far greater numbers than girls and women. The Taliban say they respect women’s rights in accordance with Islamic law and local custom. But many women have reported restrictions on access to public life, including jobs, forcing some to drop out of the workforce. (Source: SMH)
Javed Miandad Inducted Into PCB’s Hall of Fame
On Saturday the 19th of March, The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) inducted Javed Miandad into its Hall of Fame, in recognition of his achievements as one of Asia’s finest batsmen. The PCB’s Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain presented him with a commemorative cap and plaque. Launched in April 2021, the objective of the PCB Hall of Fame is to recognize some of the greatest cricketers produced by Pakistan and to preserve the country’s cricket history…Miandad, now 64, remained Pakistan cricket’s heartbeat from 1975 to 1996, during which he scored 16,213 international runs with 31 centuries in 357 matches, the PCB said.
“Every time I stepped onto the field of play, I wanted to contribute to my team and country through my performance…I was fortunate to always have had excellent and outstanding contemporaries who supported and encouraged me and I want to especially thank the people of Pakistan for their overwhelming support and love to date. This always remained my inspiration and motivation in the pursuit for excellence”, expressed Javed Miandad. (Source: PCB)
Deaf Pakistani Software Engineer Helping Bridge The Hearing Gap With An Innovative App
Wamiq Hasan, Pakistan’s first deaf software engineer, developed an app DeafTawk to help deaf and hard-of-hearing Pakistanis, especially women, communicate more easily and made global news headlines. The app aims to bridge the gap between hearing-impaired people and their respective communities by providing a “real-time sign-language solution at their fingertips”. It allows deaf users to sign up, connect with qualified interpreters, and use the service to communicate with anyone, including doctors, teachers, cab drivers, and relatives. DeafTawk is a mobile app both available on IOS and Android that provides sign language interpretation services for the deaf community. The app offers paid subscriptions and it is also available in Denmark, Singapore and Puerto Rico. (Source: ArabNews)
Meta Launches Online Safety Initiatives For Women In Pakistan
Meta has launched two new initiatives in Pakistan, focused on womens’ safety online that includes the Online Safety Guide and StopNCII (Non-consensual intimate images) to help users safely navigate cyberspace. The critical safety advisory available in English and Urdu is expected to boost digital literacy and responsible online behaviour among users, thereby creating safer online spaces for women to connect and express themselves without restraints. Millions of Pakistanis use Meta platforms to connect and pursue shared interests and the safety guide is part of the company’s efforts to equip and prepare women for the challenges of the modern digital world. (Source: Dawn)
7-year-old Pakistani Girl Becomes Youngest CCNA Professional In The World
A 7-year-old Pakistani girl has become the youngest ever Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) professional in the world. The CCNA certification consists of six sections. It includes network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability.To become a CCNA professional, one must need to take CCNA 200-301 exam which contains around 100 questions to be completed in 2 hours and secure more than 82.5% overall marks.
Karachi-based Ayesh Fatima has cleared the certification with flying colours. CCNA emphasizes the technology and skills needed to work with networks of 100 nodes or fewer, covering both IP and non-IP networks including IPX and AppleTalk. She has broken the record of an Indian girl named K. Visalini who had achieved the feat in 2015 when she was just 11 years old. Visalini had broken the record of a Pakistani boy who achieved the feat in 2008 when he was 12 years old.
Netizens Outraged Over The Feature Of Faiz’s Poetry In Indian Propoganda Film
A recently released Indian film called ‘The Kashmir Files’ featured the renowned Pakistani poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry in one of its songs and Pakistanis aren’t happy about it. ‘Hum Dekhengey’ was penned down by Faiz while he was in exile in London during former dictator Ziaul Haque’s military rule in the country. Dubbed as “exploitative” against Muslims by some Indian news outlets, the film is about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the state after terrorists began targeting the community after militancy broke out in 1989 and is backed by the Indian PM, Narendra Modi. ‘The film is exploitative in the extreme, made to rouse emotions and build up a particular mood against Indian Muslims. Watching it, it is not difficult to get carried away against the “murderous Muslims” who show not a shred of humanity,’ writes Sidharth Bhatia for The Wire.
After the trailer was released, Pakistani social media users demanded that either the federal government or someone from the poet’s family should file a ‘legal notice’ for copyright issues against the ‘unauthorised use of content’ as the song was an ‘intellectual theft’ of Faiz’s poetry. Meanwhile, the movie’s director Vivek Agnihotri claimed he took permission from Faiz House in Lahore for using the poetry. (Source: The Wire)
Karachiites Eagerly Await The ACF Sunset Picnic Happening Next Week!
ACF’s first-ever Sunset Picnic is here! Happening on Sunday the 27th March from 4 pm to 12 midnight at the Karachi Parsi Institute, this is an event you don’t want to miss! Tickets are reasonably priced at 500 PKR. Friendly, fully vaccinated and leashed pet dogs are allowed at the event, while entrance for kids under 8 is free! With fun activities for the entire family (including your fur babies) and a variety of food stalls to binge at, what are you waiting for? Buy your tickets HERE!
