EXPLORING SUPPRESSION AND CONFLICT IN THE DISCOURSES OF MOHSIN HAMID’S MOTH SMOKE

Purpose of the Study: This paper explores suppression and conflicts projected through the linguistic choices used by the characters in Moth Smoke. The chief argument of the study is to analyze as to how the less powerful are suppressed through language and how far such discourses give rise to conflicts and cause an imbalance in society. Methodology: The study uses Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a methodological and theoretical framework. The role of CDA is to expose the evils constructed in a piece of literature. It provides the essential tools for analyzing social evils and injustices. As the novel is replete with social inequalities and injustices, CDA is proper for the critical investigation of the evils understudy. Principal Findings: Most of the time, the powerful strive to control the institutions while the powerless have no access to basic needs. The study explored the themes of suppression of the powerless strata of society. It also explored the theme of conflict due to the unequal distribution of wealth and privileges in society. Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke (2000) depicts the Pakistani society constructing the distinction between the two classes described in the novel. Application of the Study: This research will help teachers and students who wish to analyze literary pieces objectively. This research is helpful to bring to light the suppression of the powerless by the powerful, power exercise, and conflict between the two social groups through the use of language. Novelty/Originality of the Study: Hamid’s Moth Smoke has been analyzed from many perspectives, but the current study explores suppression, conflict, and power abuse from the standpoint of CDA. The study is not descriptive but critical as well as explanatory, which makes it original and unique.

COVID-19 in the MENA Region: Facts and Findings

Introduction: Our study aims to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It aims also to examine the various factors that have led to the unequal distribution of the confirmed cases among the different MENA countries. Methodology: Data was retrieved from the World Health Organization situation reports issued between January 29 and June 5, 2020. It included the numbers of cumulative cases, new cases, and cumulative deaths reported by MENA countries. Similarly, we searched for relevant articles in PubMed and Medline. Results: A total of 481,347 cases and 11,851 deaths occurred in the MENA region, accounting for 7.37% and 3.06% of the global cases and deaths respectively. Iran had the highest number of cases and deaths accounting for 34.1% and 68.1% of the MENA cases and deaths respectively. Together the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries accounted for 52.2% and 10.6% of MENA cases and deaths respectively. Egypt had the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths among the African countries of the region. Syria, Libya and Yemen (countries at war) had the lowest numbers of reported cases. The MENA region overall case fatality rate (CFR) was estimated at 2.46%. The highest CFR (22.75%) occurred in Yemen, and the lowest (0.07%) in Qatar. Conclusions: The unequal distribution of wealth among the MENA countries, the lack of sociopolitical stability, and the high number of undetected and underreported cases in some of them have resulted in varied incidences of COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality.

Five Centuries of Inequality and Socioeconomic Transformation in the Barcelona Area, 1451-1880

Unequal distribution of wealth is a matter of growing concern in contemporary society, but it is also one with deep roots in the past. Several authors have traced the origins of this inequality by reconstructing historical series and collecting and harmonising data from sources and records with uneven territorial and temporal cover (Milanovic et al. (2011), Alfani (2015) Piketty (2014 and 2020)). Few places in the world have data series that make it possible to reconstruct the patterns of socioeconomic inequality by drawing on a single source. Barcelona, including its hinterland, is one of these places. The Barcelona Historical Marriage Database, which was created under the auspices of the Advanced Grant project Five Centuries of Marriages headed by Professor Anna Cabré, has made it possible to analyse, over a period of five centuries, the distribution of wealth by studying the taxes levied on marriages held in the Diocese from 1451 to 1880. This number of Perspectives Demogràfiques offers an account of the evolution of inequality from the ancien régime through to the consolidation of industrialisation, the concentration of wealth, and the composition and replacement of economic elites in the Barcelona area.

A Semiological Analysis of Dudley's Political Cartoons in the Namibian Newspaper

Political cartoons communicate powerful politically inclined renditions reflective of how cartoonists view contestable contemporary issues in society. All over the world, political cartoons that satirize governance practices are a common feature in the press. As in economies of many African states, from 2016 to 2019 the Namibian economy has generally been on the decline, thereby calling for new thinking in socio-economic and fiscal policies of the country. This qualitative study employs the connotative and denotative model of analysis from the Bathesian semiological perspective to reveal how a purposive sample of political cartoons in the Namibian newspapers, exposes how Dudley satirizes mainly against poor service delivery, corruption, and unequal distribution of wealth in Namibia. The study recommends the adoption of a servant-leadership approach based on Ubuntu.

Proposal on Effect of Changes in Foreign Currency on Consolidating Financial Statements

The aim of the study is to identify the financial implications that is arise from the economic inequality. In this aspect, it has been identified that Economic inequality refers to unequal distribution of wealth among different groups and communities in a society. In addition to this, it leads to generation of income gaps in a society, which as the phrase of rich get richer while the poor get poorer. In relation to this, the applied method of this research is qualitative research, which is used for collecting and analyzing information of the research. The collected data of this research include different secondary sources, which include published data, journal articles and books. The primary objective of this study is to determine the extent to which the financial consequences has been developed with economic inequalities. Moreover, the finding of this study identifies that there is significant impact of economic inequality on financial implications. Furthermore, a finding of the study reflected that economic inequality has been developed with multiple factors that are affecting overall economy.

Population Growth and Inter-Provincial Economic Disparity

Pakistan’s population growth is the highest in Asia, yet savings is the lowest. By looking at the concept and meaning of development, this paper analyzes how population growth, along with problems of bad governance, inter-provincial and intra-provincial economic disparities, and poor–rich divides have affected Pakistan’s economic development. The study focuses on the relationship between population growth and economic development by looking at the Malthusian population trap theory, taking Pakistan as a contemporary case study. Also discussed is whether population growth is an actual problem behind poverty and underdevelopment, or whether the problem is caused by something else, such as unequal distribution of wealth between developed and developing nations or poor–rich divides. The paper addresses the political Left’s point of view and looks at inter-provincial economic disparity in Pakistan. Having discussed the problems of population growth and inter-provincial economic disparity in Pakistan through comparative study of Punjab, the most populated and highly developed province, with other provinces of Pakistan, specifically Balochistan, through analyzing the merger of Balochistan with Pakistan to the emergence of the Baloch separatist movement, this paper shows possible ways to resolve these issues in light of social, political, and religious issues prevailing in Pakistani society today.

Dance of the New Beginning: Jubilee as a Vision for New Community

God’s purposeful design is for humanity to flourish. Over the years, one of the greatest problems confronting Nigeria, and indeed Africa, has been poverty. Poverty has denied many the right to enjoy the life God designed for them. It has brought untold misery to many people. Many have been enslaved even in their ancestral lands by the rich because of poverty induced by injustice. Poverty, especially in Nigeria, is not due to lack of human and natural resources but to sheer greed leading to unequal distribution of wealth, imbalanced opportunities for empowerment and corruption. As a result, the scourge of poverty continues to affect people. This article looks at ways of interpreting and using the principles of jubilee in Leviticus 25 to build a new community that transforms humanity. It argues that the principles of jubilee, which include an invitation to partnership with God and humanity, faithful stewardship, equal economic and political opportunities, forgiveness of debts, love and concern for ecology, are germane in addressing the problem of poverty.