Controversial poem deleted from Inter textbook
Tariq Butt
(Read the poem below and put together the first word of each verse)
ISLAMABAD: The government is excising from the new English textbook for class XI a poem titled "The Leader" whose first alphabets of all its verses, put together in sequence as they occur, read President George W Bush.
The 20-verse poem, authored by an anonymous poet, spells out ideal qualities "the leader" has. "We have decided to delete the poem from the book, published by the National Book Foundation (NBF)
and prescribed for the federal board students of intermediate," a visibly embarrassed official of the federal education ministry told The News. "It will be stretching the matter too far- to assert that the poem was inserted in the book deliberately to enumerate the qualities of the American president," he said.
The official said the concerned wing of the ministry is probing how a number of committees that sift through all textbooks to find out anything objectionable or unfit for more than a year before it is prescribed for the school or college curriculum, failed to take notice of the glaring blunder.
He wondered why the writer was kept nameless, admitting that examiners of papers always appreciate the names of authors in the answers written by candidates appearing in different examinations.
The official said the poem would
not appear in the next edition of the book. He ruled out of question eulogising Bush in textbooks irrespective of US funding to transform the curriculum to fit into the enlightened moderation strategy of President General Pervez Musharraf.
The book was printed in 2004 for the first time after the government decided to deregulate publication of textbooks. It was prescribed for the first year students of the federal board in 2005.
"The Leader" by "Anonymous" appearing on page 226 of the book, with its editors being Muhammad Aslam Gondal and M H Hamdani, reads:
"Patient and steady with all he must bear,
Ready to accept every challenge with care,
Easy in manner, yet solid as steel,
Strong in his faith, refreshingly real,
Isn't afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn't conform to the usual mold,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight wont do,
Never back down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight, and means it all too,
Going forward and knowing he's right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight,
Over and over he makes his case clear,
Reaching to touch the ones who won't
hear,
Growing in strength, he won't be unnerved,
Ever assuring he'll stand by his word,
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease:
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must."
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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