Do You Know Pakistan?Understanding Iqbal’s concept of ideal state through Ibne Safi, Waheed Murad This is a series of five workshops explaining the organic model of society upheld by Iqbal in which history, literature, politics, religion and education are not only interconnected but are in fact regulated by the same force, the free will of the citizens. Key concepts are discussed here with the help of excerpts from Iqbal’s works, mystery stories, movie clips and lively discussions. Organic Model of Society Literature determines politics, politics determines religion, religion determines education, and education determines literature. This cycle of interactions from literature to politics, religion, to education in turns determines the history. Each of these interactions is examined from the works of Iqbal and other contributors of consensus literature. The workshops were conducted by several resource persons including Khurram Ali Shafique, Dr. Ahmad Safi, Rashid Ashraf and others.
Waheed Murad: a Spiritual Journey 3-Hour Workshop by Khurram Ali Shafique Waheed Murad (1938-1983) was more than the greatest screen idol of our cinema. He was a producer, director and writer dedicated to promoting hope, patriotism and moral values through his work. This is a three-hour interactive session on key issues raised in Ishara (1969), a film that was written, produced and directed by Waheed Murad (and the only Pakistan film to experiment in the stream of consciousness). The session has been extremely popular in universities in Pakistan and abroad, and on the Internet, and is being repeated here on popular demand. Ibne Safi: the Untold Story
3-Hour Workshop by Ahmad Safi & Rashid Ashraf
 More than being a writer, Ibne Safi (1928-1980) was a phenomenon that shaped the minds, souls and hearts of the first generation of Pakistanis and continues to influence us even today. In his own times, he was read by rulers of states, homemakers, professors, students and drivers of trucks and rickshaws – and those who were illiterate would get his books read out to them. By failing to pay any serious attention at understanding the deeper layers of meanings in the writings of such an influential writer we have failed to understand so much about ourselves. This three-hour session offers a proper introduction to Ibne Safi for those of the new generation who may have very little knowledge of him, and a few new insights that might be new even for the most ardent fans. A special focus of the session is the connection between Ibne Safi and the kind of literature which Allama Iqbal wanted to promote. The session will be conducted by the author’s son Ahmad Safi and the young researcher Rashid Ashraf, a well-known figure of our cyberspace.
Quran and Iqbal: Surah YusufConducted by Khurram Ali Shafique This is a three-hour session consisting of an eye-opening discussion on Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12 of the Quran) with an aim of seeking insights from the Quran into literature, life and ideas. Muslims have long considered the story of Joseph (Hazrat Yusuf) as told in the Quran is considered to be “the best of the stories” (a phrase that occurs in the Surah itself). Almost all great writers of Muslim literature, including Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, Abdur Rahman Jami and Allama Iqbal, have been particularly influenced by this segment of the Holy Book. This session, which has been a great success on many previous occasions, is being repeated on popular demand. Participants are requested to bring their own copy of translation of the Surah (preferably with Arabic text), since the session is discussion-based. The Power of ConsensusHow are our personal opinions related to the opinions of the society, and do we lose or win by respecting this connection? What are the types of consensus and how we recognize them? Why do we need to recognize them? Are there existing sources of moral power which we have failed to utilize? How can we empower ourselves with least effort? These are some of the core issues of Iqbal Studies that were addressed in a two-hour session conducted by Khurram Ali Shafique, Research Consultant, Iqbal Academy Pakistan. |