{"title":"Karim F Hirji","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the insightful works of Karim F. Hirji, delving into themes of social justice, development, and global health. Perfect for readers seeking thoughtful analysis and a deeper understanding of our world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"religion-politics-and-society-book-karim-f-hirji-9781990263125","title":"Religion, Politics and Society","description":"Written by Karim F Hirji, a retired professor of Medical Statistics, Religion, Politics and Society focuses on the four major global religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam - together with minor religions like the Ahmadiyya, Confucianism, Sikhism, Seventh Day Adventism and Traditional African Religion as well as on Secularism, New Age beliefs and the ancient Paleolithic and Neolithic era belief systems to explore the origin, spiritual import and social function of religion in human society. Utilizing the canons, beliefs, practices, history, eminent personages, institutions of the diverse faiths, it tackles matters like: How did the social function of religion evolve over time? How does religion relate to the power structure of society? Does religion promote or hinder social harmony, justice and equality? Under what circumstances? Is religion necessary for morality? What are the roots of interfaith conflict? How do modern religions and neoliberalism interact with each other? Does religion have a future? Can religion and secularism be harnessed for resolving the globally vexing yet pivotal concerns of human society? If so, how? These and related issues are tackled with the help of a variety of past and contemporary individual level and broader type of richly illustrated examples. The role of women in religion a topic of focus throughout the text. The varied functions of religion under slavery, feudalism, capitalism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, imperialism. socialism, and neoliberalism are also attended to. The foundational premise of this book is that while spiritual beliefs differ, all humans are equal in dignity and have equal rights. No religion is more exalted than others; there are no chosen people. We all belong to the global human family. Our religious and cultural diversity is a cause for celebration, not conflict. Respectful in style and targeted towards the general and knowledgeable readers, Religion, Politics and Society is the first of a two-book project. The second book, Religion, Science and the Pandemic , addresses the relationship between religion, science and mathematics and deals with role played by religion in the eugenic era and the corona virus pandemic. Unlike most books on the social function of religion, these two books shine a progressive, humanistic light on the subject matter. The key objective of these books is to help uplift the quality and tenor of the current discourse on religion and explore how faith can promote human dignity, equality, social justice and harmony. They underscore the point that though a dialogue on religion and society has to be conducted in civil tones, it should not desist from bringing unsavory realities to the fore. A genuine consensus and peaceful coexistence cannot emerge from diluting the truth.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741065158929,"sku":"NGR9781990263125","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51096034214161,"sku":"NIN9781990263125","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1990263127.jpg?v=1751125629"},{"product_id":"religion-eugenics-science-and-mathematics-book-karim-f-hirji-9781990263224","title":"Religion, Eugenics, Science and Mathematics","description":"This is the second volume on religion, this time addressing its relatinship with science and the spread of pandemics.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743825600785,"sku":"NGR9781990263224","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50995290079505,"sku":"NIN9781990263224","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1990263224.jpg?v=1751156971"},{"product_id":"banana-girls-book-karim-f-hirji-9781990263866","title":"The Banana Girls","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo talented high school girls, who are also best friends, have resolved to eat bananas everyday. Together with their devotion to the truth and idealistic spirit, this addiction slowly propels them far into the lands of ideas and action. From reserved science students, they evolve to be steadfast fighters for justice, and ultimately find themselves behind bars, convicted of terrorism related charges. This action packed novel traces that evolution through a wide cast of characters that range from school mates, teachers, family members, street vendors to state officials and businessmen, both national and international. It is a story, based in Africa, of true friendship and the struggle for a decent human existence in the face of powerful adversaries. Though otherwise entirely fictional, it derives from existent and historical realities. Interspersed within its pages, you will find enticing entities from the plant kingdom as well as songs, photos and mathematical ideas relating to bananas. The supplementary material at the end provides an introduction to the factual basis of the story.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49751220977937,"sku":"NGR9781990263866","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1990263860.jpg?v=1778147150"},{"product_id":"religion-society-and-the-pandemic-book-karim-f-hirji-9781990263958","title":"Religion, Society and the Pandemic","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe key lessons we drew in the two earlier books in this series, Religion, Politics and Society (RPS 2022) and Religion, Eugenics, Science and Mathematics (RESM 2023), were: Historically, religions have supported and opposed injustice. No religion is more holy than any other. Conflict between religions is driven more by social, political and economic factors than scriptural differences. Morality can exist without religious belief, but science or secularism does not guarantee morality. The basic philosophy and approach of religion and science differ, yet they need not be socially antagonistic forces. Religion and secularism can coexist peacefully. Religions, secularism, and science can cooperate to counter the damage wrought on our planet by profit- driven neoliberal capitalism and hyper-consumerism. RPS (2022) also presents a schema to promote joint, morally ennobling engagement between the varied faith traditions and between religions and secular forces. Its tenets are: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeclaration of spiritual equality, demarcation of common ethical principles, separation of religion and state, demarcation of the roles of religion and science in education, freedom of dress, fostering principled tolerance, acceptance of faith-based conversions, promotion of gender equality, non-discrimination over sexual preference, and regular joint celebrations and interfaith prayers. (RPS 2022).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese tenets were augmented in RESM (2023) by asserting the fundamental right of religions and science to exist and freely propagate themselves. Yet, at the same time, I suggested that scientists should be free to criticize religion and that people of faith should be free to criticize science. Religion should not intrude into public policy and education. Scientific and Aa. People of science, religion, and secularism should abide by the highest standards of morality to promote human flourishing and planetary welfare. Only the combined force of common people, religious and secular, stretching across nations and firmly committed to social and economic justice, promises the hope of attaining a humane, tolerant social order. (RESM 2023). The coronavirus pandemic dramatically transformed people-to-people interactions in families, communities, work, and educational places. Public social gatherings were curtailed, relatives did not visit one another, teachers kept a distance from their students, classes were held online, employees worked from home, recreational travel plummeted, supermarkets opened on a restricted entry basis, and so on. Washing hands, social distancing, and mask-wearing became the norm in public venues. International relationships and religious practices were affected drastically as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe main objective of this book is to examine how religions and people of faith were affected by the coronavirus pandemic and how their reactions altered its course. We also assess the validity of the above-noted conclusions drawn in RPS (2022) and RESM (2023) for the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, we ponder on the following queries: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestion 1: How did the coronavirus pandemic evolve in selected nations? Question 2: Was religious belief an obstacle or a positive factor in understanding the scientific basis of the coronavirus pandemic? Question 3: Did religious institutions, leaders and laity facilitate or block the implementation of the official pandemic control measures? Question 4: Was the role played by religion in the coronavirus pandemic affected by historical, social, economic, and political factors? Question 5: How did secularism operate in the coronavirus pandemic? Question 6: Did the coronavirus pandemic enhance or undermine religiosity? We explore these queries in relation to the four major faiths (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism), some minor religions, and secularism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49752010883345,"sku":"NGR9781990263958","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50995172966673,"sku":"NIN9781990263958","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52617706340625,"sku":"NLS9781990263958","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/199026395X.jpg?v=1750772449"},{"product_id":"growing-up-with-tanzania-memories-musings-and-maths-book-karim-f-hirji-9789987082230","title":"Growing Up With Tanzania. Memories, Musings and Maths","description":"In Growing up with Tanzania. Karim Hirji, a renowned Professor of Medical Statistics and Fellow of the Tanzania Academy of Science, presents a multi-faceted, evocative portrait of his joyous but conflicted passage to adulthood during colonial and early-Uhuru Tanzania. His smooth style engages the reader with absorbing true tales, cultural currents, critical commentary and progressive possibilities. By vibrantly contrasting the hope-filled sixties with the cynical modern era, he also lays bare the paradoxes of personal life and society, past and present.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50765413843217,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50765416071441,"sku":"CIN9987082238VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52404365295889,"sku":"NLS9789987082230","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52764104360209,"sku":"NIN9789987082230","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9987082238.jpg?v=1751223513"},{"product_id":"travails-of-a-tanzanian-teacher-book-karim-f-hirji-9781988832098","title":"The Travails of a Tanzanian Teacher","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Travails of a Tanzanian Teacher\u003c\/em\u003e is a riveting account of the bumpy first decade of the work life of\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eKarim F Hirji, a retired Professor of Medical Statistics. Filled with a distinctive variety of eye-opening episodes, it covers lecturing at the University of Dar es Salaam, the life of a political exile in a remote rural area and the challenges of setting up from scratch a one-of-a-kind educational institute in Africa. With a style that seamlessly combines the personal with the general, Hirji provides an illuminating description of different aspects of the Tanzanian political, educational, economic and rural landscape during the 1970s. Starting with a commentary on teacher training, he concludes with a critical comparison of modern university education in the nation with that of the earlier era.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50995015713041,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50995017810193,"sku":"NIN9781988832098","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52142595146001,"sku":"NLS9781988832098","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1988832098.jpg?v=1751282991"},{"product_id":"enduring-relevance-of-walter-rodney-s-how-europe-underdeveloped-africa-book-karim-hirji-9780995222397","title":"The Enduring Relevance of Walter Rodney's 'How Europe Underdeveloped Africa'","description":"\u003cp\u003eSoon after its publication in 1972, Walter Rodney's\u003cem\u003e How Europe Underdeveloped Africa\u003c\/em\u003e (HEUA) gained global popularity among progressive students, scholars and activists, and people concerned with African affairs. His innovative application of the method of political economy was a prime contributor to shifting the paradigm for rendition of the continent's past as well as for visualizing its possible trajectory. Because it stridently took the traditional historians of Africa and the prevailing neo-colonial order to task, it was also vociferously criticized by the defenders of the status quo. In these neoliberal times, its visibility has waned. Mainstream scholars and pundits from and outside of Africa proclaim that it is no longer a relevant work for Africa. In \u003cem\u003eThe Enduring Relevance of Walter Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa\u003c\/em\u003e, Karim F Hirji makes a systematic case that, on the contrary, Rodney's seminal work retains its singular value for understanding where Africa has come from, where it is going, and charting a path towards genuine development for the people of Africa. Hirji considers Rodney in his unitary persona as a historian, theoretician and activist. He begins by outlining the publication history and contents of HEUA, and noting the comments it has drawn from varied quarters. This is followed by a depiction of the global context within which it saw the light of the day and the flowering of progressive thought and vision in those vibrant times. The retrogressive reversal, in thought and social reality, that has transpired since then is summed up next. An assessment of how HEUA has weathered this storm is also provided. The next chapter presents a brief portrait of Rodney as a revolutionary, with the focus on his seven years at the University of Dar es Salaam. This is followed by an overview of the methodological framework utilized in HEUA.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese five chapters lay the foundation for the main substantive part of Hirji's book. This part begins with a detailed evaluation of the criticisms that have been levelled at HEUA. Subsequently, by a review of eight textbooks of general African history in common use today is provided. The aim here is to assess the persistence, if any, of ideas of the type promoted by Rodney in such books and identify the manner in which HEUA is directly depicted therein. Do these books give an adequate and fair depiction of Rodney to modern day students?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe penultimate chapter argues for the continued relevance of Rodney and his seminal text for Africa (and the world) in this anti-people, pro-capital, pro-imperial neoliberal era. Hirji concludes with a lively account of his own interactions over six years with Walter Rodney. With the focus on the issue of building socialism in Tanzania, a key dimension in the evolution of Rodney's thinking is described in a critical spirit. The fundamental question addressed is, in our often dark, demoralizing political environment, what do Rodney and his life have to teach us on the matter of navigating between hope and struggle?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe conclusion emerging from this book is that in the first place most of the criticisms of the content, style and practical value of HEUA lack merit. The representation of Rodney in mainstream books is as well replete with distortions, unfair selectivity and political bias.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHirji's succinct work is a consistent, coherent defence of an intellectual giant, an astute historian and a compassionate revolutionary who lived and died for humanity. It is an essential read for anyone with an interest in African history, and the fate of Africa and the regions that are historically related to it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51011320938769,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51011324051729,"sku":"NIN9780995222397","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0995222398.jpg?v=1750821023"},{"product_id":"religion-eugenics-science-and-mathematics-book-karim-f-hirji-9781998309078","title":"Religion, Eugenics, Science and Mathematics","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51386174472465,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51386175783185,"sku":"NIN9781998309078","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52615816216849,"sku":"NLS9781998309078","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/199830907X.jpg?v=1750805705"},{"product_id":"religion-politics-and-society-book-karim-f-hirji-9781998309061","title":"Religion, Politics and Society","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51680091504913,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51680091734289,"sku":"NIN9781998309061","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52618251927825,"sku":"NLS9781998309061","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1998309061.jpg?v=1751095127"},{"product_id":"cheche-reminiscences-of-a-radical-magazine-book-karim-f-hirji-9789987080984","title":"Cheche: Reminiscences of a Radical Magazine","description":"Cheche, a radical, socialist student magazine at the University of Dares Salaam, first came out in 1969. Featuring incisive analyses of key societal issues by prominent progressives, it gained national and international recognition in a short while. Because it was independent of authority, and spoke without fear or favor, it was banned after just a year of existence. The former editors and associates of Cheche revive that salutory episode of student activism in this book with fast-flowing, humor spiced stories, and astute socio-economic analyses. Issues covered include social and technical aspects of low-budget magazine production, travails of student life and activism, contents and philosophy of higher education, socialism in Tanzania, African liberation, gender politics and global affairs. They also reflect on the relevance of past student activism to the modern era. If your interests cover higher education in Africa, political and development studies, journalism, African affairs, socialism and capitalism, or if you just seek elucidation of student activism in a nation then at the center of the African struggle for liberation, this book presents the topic in a lively but unorthodox and ethically engaging manner.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52432238051601,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52432238805265,"sku":"NLS9789987080984","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9789987080984.jpg?v=1759174627"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-karim-f-hirji.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}