Junaid

2009-01-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

microsoft faculty meet 2009

2009-01-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

2009-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Abstract !

Personality Theories-winter quarter 2008-2009

2009-01-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Kamila Shamsie’s ‘surface of glass’ is an extremely intriguing story about a woman’s various psychological states. The narrative begins with the bold theme of religion which is pursued throughout the writing. Razia’s strong ties to religion point an extreme inclination towards the superego. She believes in morality, when the writer mentions in the first few lines that Razia felt a strong bond with Allah but her expectation of the reciprocation of the feelings, according to Razia, were wrong. These concepts points out her submission to her superego and her “moral anxiety”. Razia’s personality is extremely complicated, the writer gives a lot of examples which illustrates the various defence mechanisms that Razia uses unconsciously for instance just in the first paragraph thee cook’s hatred for Razia is actually Razia’s intense dislike for the cook ,thus in actual confirming that this is “Projection” that she is doing. Similarly when Kamila mentions that Razia hates “drug addicts and sneezing in the food” might actually be that she herself is attuned to drugs and she also sneezes in food, though her conscious mind doesn’t accept that she has an inclination towards drugs or that fact that she actually does sneeze in her food. Moving on when the writer says “when Razia decided something it was hard for her to undecided it” shows another major trait of her character which is that she had strong opinions which weren’t likely to be effected by anything. This shows a strong anal retentive trait. As the story progresses we observe an obvious Thanatos when Razia expresses a strong desire to leave the burner turned on a high flame. She feels a strong surge of aggression and an inclination to destroy things when she learns that the daughter wants her no more as her Ayah. We also observe some reaction formation when Razia forces herself to like the cook overlooking the issue of not being given the biggest tomatoes. However, she changes her opinion as quickly as she had formed them when she learns that the cook had been meddling with her payer mat. Razia’s submission to religion becomes clearer when she expresses her disgust at the cook that he let the devil use her prayer mat for sucking her prayers, she justifies herself that she was praying for a good cause(her sons promotion) rather than asking God for a petty thing(the big tomatoes). She puts all the blame on the ‘cook’ when her son fails to get promoted. She is using another defence mechanism in this case “displacement” when rather than blaming her son for his failure, she puts all the blame on the cook, who to her is the easiest target for all abhorrence. Throughout the story Razia’s insecure financial position is also highlighted for instance when she sees the daughter of that family clothed in a dress which costs as much as her son’s income. Similarly when she tastes the ‘keema’ prepared by the cook she feels another taste in it, which might again be a reflection of her hatred for the wretched cook. In my opinion the taste she feels is not ‘Poison’ but an analogy for her hatred for the cook. She also has a major job security, which is depicted by the fact that she is annoyed when the daughter talks about not needing an ayah any more, similarly the night she blows prayers around the house she acknowledges the fact that even though the younger daughter of the family didn’t use lipstick at the moment, one day she would and that would mean an end to her job. This is actually a “Reality Anxiety” she admit unconscious and consciously both that she would lose her job eventually. When she talks about the son it is always the “un-promoted son” which shows her disappointment at her son’s failure and her inability to accept it is even more disturbing since she keeps on laying the blame on other factors using displacement as a defence mechanism. When ultimately she cannot bear the hatred for the cook anymore she goes to a Hakim with her son. In my opinion the hakim makes herself, makes her realize that the person she hates is herself. There are many reasons that she might hate herself the major reasons being her poor financial condition, her son’s failure and her job insecurity. The hakim makes her see her own self, that is makes her “ego” a more dominant trait of her personality. When she realizes that the “Poisoner” was no one but herself she comes in terms with her ego and superego. Now when she returns to the family’s home she doesn’t refer the cook as the “Poisoner” rather she calls him “HIM” and now the when she refers to the taste of the keema she actually smiles since now it doesn’t taste of hatred since she has resolved the issues and the internal clashes she was facing. Thus eventually through the resolution of her anxieties and internal clashes she becomes psychologically normal.

Philo dialogue autumn Quarter 2008

2008-11-21T16:51:00.001-08:00

PHILOSOPHY DIALOGUE
“Knowledge (ilm) has a priority over Gnosis (ma’arifa).”

AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN IQBAL AND IBN AL-ARABI

Submitted to:
Dr. Ghazala Irfan
By:
Junaid Shafqat Paracha
10020499

The explosion was a deafening array of horrific sounds that reverberated through the khayaban-e-Iqbal₁. Blood, dust and an assortment of broken junk littered the once busy yet peaceful road. Through the dust, two figures, one wearing white robes and the other adorned in a patched heavily-mended tunic materialized, as if by magic. They seemed to be attracted towards the source of the disaster and glided over all the dust and the blood and the assortment of broken junk littered everywhere. They looked strangely out of place. The one in the patched tunic looked mockingly at the elegant white robed man and called out in heavy voice:
Al-Arabi:
World of soul - a world of fire, ecstasy and longing;
World of body - a world of gain, fraud and cunning;
Iqbal:
Get over with it already, Arabi! It is insolence that you answer me in my own words which remind me of my past. I am done with you and your arguments. WHY have you brought me here now? I know there is misery and hopelessness and destruction, but that has nothing to do with our prime argument of knowledge.
Al-Arabi:
You are mistaken, Iqbal, for our prime argument lies in gnosis rather than in such superficial things as knowledge. You talk of knowledge, you talk of rationality. Where is your nation going today? It has knowledge, and established mosques and schools. There are valid hadiths. And on top of everything else, THE KORAN. There are dozens of Madrassas within a 5 mile radius where thousands of people pray. They are hafiz and ulemas. Despite all this, where is your nation going today? If only they could have seen past these worldly distractions, they would have been much closer to God and would have been in peace.
Iqbal:
Arabi for the love of God. Islam is NOT a religion for hermits. We both know that Islam never asks you to give up world and seek refuge in mountains and forests. Islam is a way of life and life exists with the world. The world of body, as opposed to the world of soul, is a reality. You expect God to make a world and then ask you to give it up?
1 Previously known as Margallah Road in Islamabad now has been renamed as "Khayaban-e-Iqbal.
The first two verses are a translation of Iqbal’s “The world of body vs. The world of soul”

Al-Arabi:
It’s a test. The path to Allah is clear. If you want to achieve the highest level in religion you have to sever all your mundane earthly ties.

Iqbal:
My argument remains the same. Islam is a way of life; it’s a zaabat-e-hayat. After seeing so much I have to say that if you give up the world you give up everything. For with the appropriate knowledge of the religion and a rational mind you can achieve any level of religious scholarship you aspire.
Iqbal raised his hand at this point and pointed toward the heavens and looking into the eyes of Al-Arabi said:
Iqbal:
Arabi what do you have to say about the fact that the mystic state is a single unanalysable unity in which the ordinary distinction of subject and object does not exist. For if the mystic state is devoid of the subject-object distinction, how is it possible that the mystic experiences God in this state as an independent other self?
Al-Arabi however looked unperturbed by this argument and calmly responded with a slight smile playing around his lips
Al-Arabi:
There are various levels of the manifestation of reality. At the highest level, reality is absolute unity, devoid of distinctions, but at the lower levels distinctions emerge and they are also real. In this experience the mystic reaches just short of the stage of absolute unity, which is the unity of plurality, yet he is convinced that there is a more fundamental level as well.
Iqbal:
My ideology remains firm that knowledge and not gnosis leads to the attainment of the highest level in Religion. Allah has himself claimed in the Holy Quran that: “surely in the heavens and the earth there are signs for those with faith; and in your creation and the beasts. He scatters abroad, there are signs for a people having certainty; and in the diversity of the night and the day, and the provision that God sends down from heaven, and therewith gives it life after its death, and in the turning about of winds, there are signs for people who have intelligence. These are the signs of God that we recite to you truly. So in which speech, after God and His signs will they have faith?” Surely Arabi you are intelligent enough to understand and decipher the meaning of this verse. And I am also assuming that you are amongst those who have faith. This verse clearly points towards knowledge of the religion and in the signs of God given through the Quran. This is surely the best way to reach God and understand him.
Al-Arabi:
Iqbal I am one of those who have faith. But intelligence is a virtue that has not been distributed to all. You see your nation today. Look around Iqbal. You will see for yourself that this Sufi’s words hold some truth in them. Your nation, in following your views of rationality and knowledge, has ended up killing themselves. Humanity cannot be trusted with knowledge. They only path to the Almighty is to give up the worldly pleasures and devout your life for Him. You have to sever your ties from the world and find reason yourself in isolation. Mari’fah is the only way to ensure the attainment of Allah’s will. Remember when you said yourself:

Delve deep into your buried self, and find the clue to life;

If you cannot be mine then be not, but be your own;

The clue to life is hidden in yourself. You just have to work hard and find it. And that Allama is your way to God. Gnosis.
Iqbal:
When you talk of gnosis and you undermine the importance of knowledge it just seems to me that you are ignoring an important doctrine of Islam. The very essence of religion lies in the knowledge of Quran, of Sunnah and Hadith. You cannot be ignorant of the knowledge that is in these doctrines. If you talk about MY NATION being misguided and the one in misery then you are largely denying the fact that most in my nation do not understand the real knowledge. They are misguided. They are driven by the worldly desires. They have no idea about the real path of illumination. If you think about it, knowledge does not come easily; hard work and labor are required to get knowledge of the deen. The path to God is not an easy one. There are many stray paths which sometimes deceive the unwary. In the first period, religious life appears as a form of discipline which the individual or a whole people must accept as an unconditional command without any rational understanding of the ultimate leaning and purpose of that command. It is beyond the initial phases that man has to decide which Path to choose. Yes my nation believes in knowledge to a greater extent and most of them are pious people like yourself, they can initially see the path to God clearly and can understand religion easily. It is after the initial stage (manzi) that they wander on different paths; the result of which you can see clearly.
Iqbal at this point shook his head and looked over to a dead body, the head now bowed down
Al-Arabi:
And that my friend is the sole reason why I believe that knowledge is not a sure way to God. For knowledge requires skills like rationality and logic and this Knowledge cannot be arrived at by the intellect by means of any rational thought process, for this kind of perception comes only by divine disclosure. The ONLY possible path to God is that you give up your rationality and with your heart and soul, strive for DEEN. You will have to cut your ties with this materialistic world, give up all your earthly desires and work your way towards the Almighty. Your relation with Khuda will strengthen by every moment you spend in gnosis. My beliefs remain strong and I ask you to reconsider yours for this argument of knowledge is not striking enough. It doesn’t have any supporting evidences.
Al-Arabi looked closely at Iqbal and gave him a haughty look
Al-Arabi:
Your arguments are lifeless. Gnosis has always been the stronger argument. It has been the way of the prophets. Follow it to be a part of the reality.
Iqbal:
You remain as arrogant and ignorant as before. There is no point arguing with you such delicate matters as religion. I leave you in peace.
Having said that, the white clad figure of Iqbal looked up at the heavens and was noiselessly lifted off his feet. Al-Arabi followed him with his eyes until he disappeared into the heavens. Al-Arabi too drifted over the dust and was sucked by the bright blue sky. The sun shone on khayaban-e-Iqbal and blood, dust and an assortment of broken junk littered the once busy yet peaceful road.

Arsenal are sure to take away the crown this tyme!

2007-11-06T12:02:00.001-08:00

The way the new-look arsenal is playing under wenger...they are sure out there to give a surprise to anyone and everyone!
with the likes of Man utd and Liverpool struggling against them it would be really hard to hold them back from the gleaming silver trophy...or might i say TROPHIES...since they are playing in the champions league with the same zeal....and in the carling cup the young gunners have surely made a spot!
i would love to see Gallas lifting all three for Arsenal!