Critical Thinking Forum International Islamic University Islamabad
Female Campus
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NEWS
DOCUMENTARY SCREENINGS
  1. The Critical Thinking Forum in collaboration with IRD of International Islamic University, Islamabad arranged a screening of the documentary “Stories from Women’s Liberation” by Ms. Jennifer H. Lee, an eminent film and documentary maker and editor, for the faculty members and students of IIUI and other universities and institutions in twin cities. The first round of the documentary was held at IIUI, Female Campus on April 22, 2013. The members watched the film with other students of the university and sat with Ms. Lee for a special discussion on theoretical debates and waves of Feminism in the West. This session of the Critical Thinking forum was arranged at Seminar Room, Faisal Masjid Campus. The meeting was attended by research students and scholars from department of Shariah & Law, English and Islamic Studies, IIUI. Also in attendance were Mr. Rob Raines, Deputy Cultural Attaché U.S. Embassy Islamabad and Mr. Junaid Ahmad, Asst. Prof. LUMS.
  2. English Literary Society and Critical Thinking Forum collaborated to contribute their part in ’16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence’ and Human Rights Day by screening an Oscar winning documentary “Saving Face” for the students of English Department on 2nd December 2014.
INAUGURATION OF CTF SEMINAR ROOM
On 27th April 2017, the Inauguration ceremony of CTF Seminar room was held at Fatima-tu-Zahra Block Female Campus IIUI. This Seminar Room is established in collaboration with the US Department of State, US Embassy Islamabad. The higher officials from the US Embassy Islamabad and IIUI graced the occasion as guests. The CTF Seminar Room will surely be an engaging space for serious academic, intellectual and critical discussions as Critical Thinking Forum is all about bringing people from multiple backgrounds on one table to generate serious and effective debates.
 
12th International Comparative Literature Conference
Dr. Munazza Yaqoob (Founder & Director, CTF) and Ms. Sonia Irum (Coordinator, CTF) represented CTF at the 12th International Comparative Literature Conference in India in March 2015. Their papers were well received by the international audience.
 
First International Conference of Literature and Language on Modern and Contemporary Language, Literature and Culture (FICLL)
Members of CTF from Department of English, Female Campus, IIUI presented their papers in the First International Conference of Literature and Language on Modern and Contemporary Language, Literature and Culture (FICLL) organized by Government College University, Lahore from 14th to 16th April 2014. Everyone among these presenters had a unique point of view for discussion.
 
international conference on “Grassroots & Community Initiatives Towards Rebuliding U.S. – Pakistan Relationship in US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium
Critical Thinking Forum was specially invited to attend an international conference on “Grassroots & Community Initiatives Towards Rebuliding U.S. – Pakistan Relationship in US-Pakistan Interreligious Consortium on March 14, 2014.
 
Roundtable “Human Rights’ Awareness in Pakistan: Role of Academia and Civil Society”
The Critical Thinking Forum(CTF) arranged a roundtable on “Human Rights’ Awareness in Pakistan: Role of Academia and Civil Society” on December 10, 2015. The event was organized as part of a Two-year approved project entitled “Consciousness Raising of Pakistani Women on Contemporary Academic and Social Issues” and to celebrate the International Human Rights Day which is commemorated annually on 10th December.
Director General of Islamic Research Institute, Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, was the guest of honor for the event. The guest speakers included Ms. Khushboo Ali (Former Iqbal Fellow at Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue (IRD) and Human rights’ activist), Dr. Nasim Razi (Assistant Professor, department of Sharia and Law, International Islamic University, Islamabad), and Mr. Liaqat Banori (Advocate High Court and Chairman SHARP, Pakistan).
First, Ms. Khushboo Ali gave a detailed introduction of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and commented on different aspects of the document. She discussed the legal value of UDHR to ensure the protection of the basic human rightsas well as the failure of the United Nations to play its role in preventing the abuses of the human rights throughout the world.
Next, Dr. NasimRazi discussed the brief history of the development of international human rights. She termed the notion of human rights as an old phenomenon that is present in the discussion of Aristotle and is recognized by Islam as well, unlike Europe where the awareness of the human rights is a new phenomenon that emerged during WWII. She focused on the situation of human rights in general and women rights in particular, in the Pakistani society. She also mentioned the legal and constitutional rights of the women as well as recent legislations to safeguard women’s rights that reflect an increased awareness of this issue in Pakistan. She stressed on the need to give this awareness to the students at primary level and emphasized the role of government as well as prevention of the abuse of religion to abuse women rights.
Mr. Syed Liaqat Banori emphasized the importance of human rights saying that recognition and acceptance of human beings as humans is the first step towards the recognition of their rights. He added that acknowledging others’ existence as humans is the beginning of acceptance of their rights but every right comes with a corresponding responsibility which is equally important to be fulfilled. He hoped the young generation will be more sensitive about the rights of their fellows and also emphasized the celebration of human rights throughout the year.
Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, while discussing the importance of human rights in Pakistan, emphasized the role of academia and highlighted that inculcation of critical thinking in humans can ensure betterment of the society.He critically evaluated Pakistani society saying that the detachment of academia from society and lack of criticality are responsible fortheabuses of human rights. He stated that human rights and women rights are recognized by our own religion. So, they should not be tabooed by terming them a part of any western agenda.
He appreciated Dr. Munazza’s efforts in formulating a group of young critical thinkers. He said that young Pakistani generation is more aware of their rights as well as their responsibilities and formation of platforms like Critical Thinking Forum can be a positive step towards a better future for Pakistan.
In the end, the speakers were asked a few questions on the topic and the session concluded with the distribution of certificates and souvenirs.
One-day Seminar “Encountering Violence against Women”
The one-day seminar titled “Encountering Violence against Women” was organized by Critical Thinking Forum (CTF) of International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) in the Lincoln Corner of University, Islamabad on 18th November 2015. Ms. Christiana Tomlinson, Counselor for Public Affairs, Department of State, US Embassy, Islamabad was the guest of honor on the occasion. The event was also attended by the Project Director, Founder/Incharge of Critical Thinking Forum, Dr. Munazza Yaqoob, CTF members, as well as faculty and students from various departments of IIUI (Female Campus).
Ms. Christina Tomlinson, in her opening remarks discussed the American commitment with Human Rights in general and women’s rights in particular. She also appreciated the contribution of Critical Thinking Forum in the consciousness-raising of Pakistani women.
Dr. Munazza Yaqoob, gave a brief background of Critical Thinking Forum and of the aims and objectives of the project Consciousness Raising of Pakistani Women on Contemporary Academic and Social Issues.
“As a part of the project activities, Critical Thinking Forum plans to conduct a roundtable discussion session titled “Human Rights Day” on 10th December 2015 which will be followed by a two-day inter-disciplinary conference titled “Consciousness-Raising of Pakistani Women: Negotiating Differences and Building Alliances” to be held on 17-18 December 2015” told Dr. Munnaza Yaqoob.
Dr. Ammar Nasir, Religious Scholar and Researcher, GIFT University Gujranwala, mentioned various factors responsible for the deprivation of Women’s rights in Pakistan including illiteracy, social structures, and distorted interpretation of religion.
Dr. Rakshinda Perveen, Writer, Director and Producer of Program Gender Watch emphasized that women should be wise enough to make right choices in their lives and decide whether to enjoy the luxury of subordination or to pay the price of empowerment.
Ms. Saba Ghori, Mission Gender Advisor, Department of State, US Embassy shared her experiences of working as a Gender Advisor and the work being done in the US to prevent violence against women and provide protection to the victims through legislation.
Ms. Shagufta Umer, Incharge Dawah centre for women of IIUI gave a detailed presentation on the various types of violence against women, highlighted its various causes and suggested certain possible solutions of the problem.
Dr. Kekashan Arouj, Chairperson, Department of Psychology, IIUI discussed the psychological aspects of violence against women and discussed the strategies to help the victims. The discussion was followed by a question and answer session.
Roundtable “Women in Academia: Role and Challenges in Pakistan”
The Critical Thinking Forum (CTF) organized a roundtable discussion session with reference to the world Teachers’ Day on “Women in Academia: Role and Challenges in Pakistan” on 15th October 2015.Dr. Samina Nadeem (Comsats Institute of Information Technology), Dr. Riffat Haq (AIOU), Dr. Afshan Huma (AIOU), Ms. Sumaira Batool (Viqar-un-Nisa College for Women) and Ms. Sadia Qamar (NUST) were the speakers on this occasion.
Ms. Farhat Meher, the moderator of the session, emphasized the role of women in academia and the facts about the position of women in the academic field at the local as well as the global level. After that, Dr. Munazza Yaqoob, Project Director and Incharge CTF, briefly introduced the project “Consciousness Raising of Pakistani Women on Contemporary Social and Academic Issues” and elaborated on how this project aimed at bridging the gap between academic research and the society at large. She emphasized the need of an academic activism that is more local, related to the issues faced by women in our society and is rooted in our religion.
The next speaker, Dr. Samina Nadeem, discussed the challenges faced by Pakistani women to work with the men while striving continuously to achieve a balance between her domestic responsibilities and the workplace. The discussion became quite interactive in which the speaker and the participants reflected on the gender roles, recent change in gender roles and the financial factors responsible for this change, gendered academia and the challenges and social pressures faced by the professional women in their lives. She also emphasized the inculcation of more academic, professional and focused attitude in women when they are not just working for monetary gains but are equipped with skills to be a strong individual.
After that, Dr. Riffat Haque shared her findings after surveying a few journals of gender studies. She pointed out some clichéd and general discussions found in the academic researches. She also emphasized the indigenizing of the challenges faced by women in our society and looking for their solutions at the same time. She stressed on the needs of finding the role models in our own history and creating a culture of internal networking and mentoring. Dr. Haque discussed the importance of proper facilities and training for professional women in academia and suggested the inclusion of men in the process while becoming the agents of change themselves. She also emphasized the need to have the presence of women in the society through the women forums where women have the ability to negotiate and debate.
This talk was followed by Ms. Afshan Huma’s personal and more experiential narrative of the expectations, realities and challenges of women in Pakistani society, at domestic and professional levels. She proposed to have more discussions built upon women’s narratives emphasizing how women could prioritize their lives and take their own responsibilities rather than having them taken by someone else.
The next speaker, Ms. Sumaira Malik, shared her own experience of working in a public sector educational institution with all female colleagues. She highlighted the problems faced by women and created by women probing into their reasons and effects. Ms. Batool, in her talk, criticized the non-professional and non-cooperative attitudes of women that need to be addressed to create a more productive and harmonious environment at the workplaces.
The last speaker of the session was Ms. Sadia Qamar who talked about her experience of working in an all-male environment in a field that is predominantly a men’s field. She discussed the experience of being a student and then a teacher in the field of Robotics highlighting gender dis-balance in such fields. She advised women to be more resilient and consistent professionals without being patronized.
The session concluded with a very engaging discussion and serious questions by the participants and the students. In the end, Dr. Munazza distributed certificates and souvenirs to the speakers.
Orientation Workshop
An orientation workshop was held on 17th September, 2015 in the Seminar Room, Hazrat Fatima-tuz-Zahra block, Female Campus, International Islamic University, Islamabad. The Workshop was organized by The Critical Thinking Forum (CTF)about thegrant project “Consciousness Raising of Pakistani Women on Contemporary Academic and Social Issues”.
The program was attended by about 50 people including the project director, Dr. Munazza Yaqoob,core members of CTF, faculty and students.Dr. Munazza Yaqoob, Ms. Soumia Aziz and Ms. Sofia Hussain were the speakers for the event. The program started with the recitation of a few verses of the Holy Quran by Ms. Soumia Aziz.
Dr. Munazza Yaqoob gave a presentation introducing CTF and Consciousness Raising project.She told the participants about the academic activities organized by CTF since its inception like numerous round tables, seminars as well as 03 international conferences. After giving a brief presentation on the achievements of CTF, Dr. Munazza presented a detailed over-view of the project, its aims and objectives. Dr. Yaqoob explained how the project is aimed to link the social issues in Pakistani society with academic discourse, a connection that seems to be missing in the developing countries. This link once established will help solve a lot of social issues faced by our society.Dr. Yaqoob clarified that the consciousness raising in this project will not be done through violent activism but through academic activities like a series of workshops, roundtables, seminars and conferences in which scholars will be invited to discuss the problems. Productive and active use of social media will also be one of the ways to bring learning out of the confines of institutions and dissemination of possible solutions in the society.
Dr. Munazza Yaqoob highlighted the key aspect i-e of consciousness raising of Pakistani women by discussing how globally there is a dominant discourse that shows Pakistani women only as marginalized and oppressed. Acknowledging the various views in agreement or disagreement with the notion, the key question raised during the workshop was as to why there is a need to raise Pakistani women’s consciousness? Dr. Yaqoob elaborated how the projectaims to train young CTF members who willthen conduct such roundtables in other universities which have agreed to come on board. The project director further informed that the broader themes of theproject include indigenous roots of women issues, social harmony and tolerance, interdisciplinarity and critical social sciences, ecological issues and environmental concerns.
After Dr. Yaqoob’s presentation, Ms. Soumia Aziz gave a brief presentation on the religious and cultural aspects of consciousness raising. She insisted that women with different ideological and religious leanings shouldtry to make connections with one another by sharing the personal success stories. Ms. Aziz extended the scope of consciousness raising to acknowledging one’s worth and celebrating one’s achievements. She quoted examples from the lives of Prophet’s wives regarding women’s positioning and rights in Islam in order to showhow women were made the active members of the society.
After that, Ms. Sofia Hussain started the activities which generated a healthy and meaningful discussion on various aspects of women’s lives in Pakistan. The attendeesshared their personal narratives regarding abuse and harassment and voiced their concerns and problems.The discussion also moved to finding the possible solutions to the problems.The participants, belonging to different regions of Pakistan including Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Punjab, also shared their success stories.
The program ended with the presentation of certificates to the speakers as well as the student representatives/speakers.
IQBAL DAY CELEBRATION BY ENGLISH LITERARY SOCIETY (ELS) AND CRITICAL THINKING FORUM (CTF)
Paying a tribute to the legacy Iqbal has left to us is unachievable yet a small effort was made to cherish his wise words. English Literary Society (ELS) of Department of English, Female Campus and Critical Thinking Forum (CTF) of Iqbal International Institute for Research & Dialogue organized a programme to celebrate Iqbal Day on November 20, 2014. The programme included quiz competition and series of Dr. Muhammad Allama Iqbal’s poetry recitals in both English and Urdu languages. In the first half of the event, female students recited Iqbal’s selected poetry from Tulu’-e- Islam, and Baang-e-Dara.

Kalam-e-Iqbal was also sung very melodiously by the students. It was followed by the Quiz competition which included questions regarding Iqbal’s life and works. Followed by the competition, were some more recitals of Iqbal’s poetry which touched the hearts of many. The Chief guest, Dr. Tayyab Munir, Chairperson, Department of Urdu, IIUI was delighted to have come at the event. He appreciated the organizers for the conduction of the event and encouraged them to hold this event as a tradition every year to commemorate the greatest poet of the century.

Dr. Tayyab Munir also highlighted the importance of Iqbal’s concept of “Enlightenment of Youth” and Iqbal’s notion of “Muslim Ummah” in his profoundly insightful address. Guest of honour, Dr. Zaitoon Begum, Director, Female Campus, IIUI also applauded the efforts of ELS and CTF for organizing the programme. Dr. Munazza Yaqoob, Chairperson, Department of English (F.C) and Incharge, Critical Thinking Forum (IIUI) also graced the occasion with her profound reflections on the significance of knowledge of Iqbal’s doctrine for the training of youth. At the end of the programme winners of the Quiz competition received prizes and certificates from the chief guest.