Are we making too much of Sufiah Yusuf? This is a case thousands of miles away that has some do-gooders ruffled beyond their senses. Don't we have girls on our own shores who have for some reason or other joined the world's oldest profession? What makes the news? That she was a Maths. prodigy who had gained a place in the prestigious Oxford Uni. at the tender age of 12? Of course that was newsworthy and I remember feeling quite elated as I did last Sunday reading about Cassandra Yong, dubbed the piano princess' in the NST. But does she merit a rescue from the Govt. (or us for that matter)? Is there a save-the prostitutes campaign that has escaped me? I watched the video-interview that the London newspaper had with her, and no where did I sense a call for help! She was actually quite nonchalant about her 'job', and sees no stigma attached to it. In fact, I thought she's enjoying the fruits of her 'labour'.
So why the fuss? Because this is a Muslim girl? Granted that we Muslims have an obligation to see that others are guided onto the 'right' path when they have gone astray. But this is a case thousands of miles away. This is a 23 year old who, prodigy or not, would have weighed her options and made her choice as she deemed fit. Not unlike we mere mortals with average intelligence. Surely her mother and her siblings would have sought help from the local resources. It is not as if the UK is void of Muslim organisations/community services that would be more than willing to exercise their religious prerogative. At the risk of seeming callous, I would say this is really a personal crisis, that does not merit a government involvement, and better resolved by the family, one way or another.
But what should concern us is our ability to handle child prodigies. Have we got such a mechanism in place? Is there provision in our education system for precocious children? Rare though they may be, we should be ready to handle them when they appear. Can we even recognise one among the millions?
Lately, there is the case of Adi, supposedly a Maths. genius for one so young. What's been done about him? The last I read, the situation with him was not quite what it should be if we are indeed concerned about child prodigies. This is a matter that warrants intervention, instead of leaving it to the parents alone. I also recall many years ago of the child (from Kedah?) who could recite the Quran from a very early age. Having received all that publicity then in the media, he is now a mere farm hand. What ever happened to the prodigiousness? Did he lose it, or did we?
So why the fuss? Because this is a Muslim girl? Granted that we Muslims have an obligation to see that others are guided onto the 'right' path when they have gone astray. But this is a case thousands of miles away. This is a 23 year old who, prodigy or not, would have weighed her options and made her choice as she deemed fit. Not unlike we mere mortals with average intelligence. Surely her mother and her siblings would have sought help from the local resources. It is not as if the UK is void of Muslim organisations/community services that would be more than willing to exercise their religious prerogative. At the risk of seeming callous, I would say this is really a personal crisis, that does not merit a government involvement, and better resolved by the family, one way or another.
But what should concern us is our ability to handle child prodigies. Have we got such a mechanism in place? Is there provision in our education system for precocious children? Rare though they may be, we should be ready to handle them when they appear. Can we even recognise one among the millions?
Lately, there is the case of Adi, supposedly a Maths. genius for one so young. What's been done about him? The last I read, the situation with him was not quite what it should be if we are indeed concerned about child prodigies. This is a matter that warrants intervention, instead of leaving it to the parents alone. I also recall many years ago of the child (from Kedah?) who could recite the Quran from a very early age. Having received all that publicity then in the media, he is now a mere farm hand. What ever happened to the prodigiousness? Did he lose it, or did we?
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