Speakers at the meeting of Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter urged the government to make it mandatory for the work places and factories, having 250 or more employees that they should establish “Day Care Centres for Children” for women employees and empower the women that they can take decision for the education of their children. The meeting was held yesterday on the theme: Mothers’ role in the reconstruction of society”, presided over by Justice (Rtd) Haziqu lKhairi at a local club. Speaking on the occasion, guest speaker and seasoned journalist, Zubeida Mustafa said that without giving the right place to woman in society the reconstruction of the society could not be done adequately. ‘Both Mother and father are responsible for fostering of children and the burden of children’s bringing up and training cannot be put on the mother alone’, she asserted.
The holy Prophet has said that “the paradise is beneath the feet of mother” and there was a mention of mother’s greatness in every literature of the world, she said, adding: ‘Gene of children consists of parent’s genes and the role of father in building the personality of a child is obvious which needs to be identified, and the word – parent be used in place of mother with regard to the fostering of children as mother is not sole responsible for that.’
She said, in western countries father or mother anyone could take maternity leaves of one or two years, because rearing of child was the responsibility of both. A man should take care of his wife keeping in mind that she was not only his wife but also the mother of his children and enjoyed some basic human rights, bestowed upon her by our religion and constitution, she added.
‘A woman cannot carry out her responsibilities of home and job without the support of her husband and in-laws. Al-though everything of a person is decided by his/her gene and even diseases are transferred through genes, but if prior precautionary measures are taken it can be avoided.
Justice (Rtd) Haziqul said that mother was the most beloved person in man’s life and renowned American psychologist, R.W. Emerson said: “When you choose your wife, you choose mother of your children.” Because it was the mother who gave values of life to her children.
Zafar Iqbal, President, Defense Residents Society said that home is the first school and mother is the first teacher of a child. So the role of mother is most important in character building of the child as Napoleon Bonaparte said: “Give me good mothers and I will give you good nation”, he added.
Anwarul Haq Siddiqi said that family was the first block of society and mother soliderated the foundation of family and the society, that’s why mother’s role was very important in the reconstruction of a society.
Commodore (Rtd) Sadeed Anwar Malik said that the well-known former prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher used to spend good enough time in her constituency to teach parents how to rear their children to make them good and useful citizens.
Ms. ShamimKazmi was of the views that the role of a mother has been made a romance setting aside the harsh realities of our society where woman was a powerless entity and didn’t have power to educate and train her children according to her will. Before expecting mothers to train their children as good citizens we should have to change the mindset of our society.
SirajuddinZafar, a renowned banker said that the role of a father was more crucial in bringing up the children and those children who fostered by their fathers would seem more confident as Sydney Harris, a writer, said: “The best combination of parents is, where the mother beneath her apparent gentleness is extremely firm; and a father who is extremely gentle beneath his apparent firmness”.
Pervez Sadiq was of the opinion that working women had become an integral part of our society and in this age of expensiveness and price – hike it became necessary for women too to do job to make both ends meet. Government, husbands and in-laws should extend their support and cooperation to the working women in performing their responsibilities in house and outside the house at their working places, he asserted.
Hakim Mohammed Usman, Sheikh UsmanDamohi, Anwar Aziz Jakartawalla, Justice (Rtd) Pervez Zia and Brig (Rtd) RiazulHaq Also spoke.