مطالب

Today, the approach of separating spirituality from religion in modern spirituality, in competition with spirituality derived from established religions, is prevalent. One of the key foundations of this approach is the liberalism towards Western readings. The present study aims to critique the basis of liberalism in separating spirituality from religion in order to clarify the fundamental flaws of this approach and the inadequacy of its results in providing for human spiritual life. In this regard, the works of Allamah Tabataba’i, as one of the greatest interpreters of Islamic teachings, have been extensively utilized. To this aim, data collection was done through library research and information processing using descriptive-analytical method with a critical approach. According to the findings, liberalism towards Western readings, rooted in individualistic humanism, is ineffective in the foundation of human spiritual life regarding the three major criticisms. Firstly, absolute freedom, which is the basis and component of the approach of separating spirituality from religion, is unattainable and non-existent. Then, freedom is not the ultimate goal but a tool to achieve genuine and true spirituality, and finally, rights-based approaches, considered as consequences of liberalism, are in contrast and on the other hand, duty-based approaches are the crucial basis for achieving true spirituality and without it, it is unimaginable.

Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky is one of the most prominent Shia scholars in Nigeria, who has gained considerable fame throughout West Africa for his unparalleled efforts in promoting and developing the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). The present study aims to examine the tumultuous life of this esteemed scholar and to provide a shining portrayal of his services to the Shia community in Nigeria. The main focus of this paper is on the life and challenges of the leader of nigerian Shia Muslims; and answer the central question posed regarding ‘To what extent Shaykh Zakzaky has succeeded in his strategic goals?’ The theoretical framework of this article is based on the theory of charismatic leadership by the German sociologist Max Weber, and the hypothesis of the article revolves around Shaykh Zakzaky's public acceptance among the Shia community in Nigeria. The research method applied is library-based with a descriptive-analytical approach, and the attention paid to this topic, which is somewhat novel and original in its nature, is considered an innovative aspect of the article.  

Rooted in the Cognitive Load (CL) and Dual Coding theories, this sequential explanatory study examined the CL levels experienced by 36 available Iranian pre-intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in auditory and visual Phonemic Awareness Tasks (PATs). The PATs focused on 'th' sound variations that were specifically challenging for Persian speakers of English. Participants were divided into two equal groups. The first group underwent auditory and visual PATs (i.e., picture sorting and word discrimination). The second group faced auditory PATs only (i.e., rhyme recognition and sound isolation) structured around voiced and voiceless ‘th’ sounds. In the qualitative phase, 8 participants were randomly interviewed to discover the potential reasons behind various levels of CL measured in certain PATs. A Virtual Reality (VR) cognitive pupillometry analysis was performed for two groups in an immersive VR environment using VR Head-Mounted Displays (VR-HMDs) and Tobii Nexus software, followed by thematic analysis. GazeMetrics strategies were employed to validate and ensure the reliability of the data collection process. The quantitative results demonstrated (a) no critical differences regarding the CL experienced by the participants in each group concerning voiced vs. voiceless’ th’ PATs and (b) higher levels of CL (increased pupil diameter, decreased blink rates, and increased gaze pattern or fixation duration) among participants in the auditory PATs group compared to the ones in the auditory and visual PATs group. Besides, qualitative findings identified the following factors as the most probable causes of the observed differences in CL levels among participants: (a) segmental differences, (b) phonological transfer, (c) phonological fossilization, (d) working memory constraints, (e) cognitive flexibility, and (f) task delivery methods. This study contributes to cognitive phonology, phonological processing, perceptual-motor language functions, and English material development.

Objective: This study aims to find the most suitable type of oral narrative for assessing the transitivity system used by hearing-impaired students studying in ordinary schools with their hearing counterparts. Methods: Three types of oral narratives, including personal narration, storytelling, and story improvisation were collected. The participants were eighteen hearing-impaired students (selected as an available sample) along with eighteen hearing students. Oral narratives were transcribed and analyzed using Halliday's transitivity system framework. And data analysis was carried out using SPSS 26 and based on the normality of the data in each of the transitivity indicators, two-independent samples t-tests and U Mann-Whitney tests were conducted. Results: Findings revealed that all three types of oral narratives of hearing-impaired students contained transitivity indicators lower than average, this difference was significant for processes (p=0.047) and participants (p=0.029) in improvisation, and for circumstances only in Personal narrative (p=041). However, in the total three types of narratives, the median difference between the two groups is significant in all transitivity indices (p= 0.24, p=0.022, and p=0.001 for processes, participants, and circumstances respectively). Conclusion: In light of the results of this research, the storytelling task, which is the most widely used form of assessment in communication disorders, cannot capture the narrative weaknesses of hearing-impaired students enrolled in regular schools, and it is necessary to use more spontaneous narrative tasks such as personal narration and improvisation of narrative in evaluating and rehabilitating these children.

The role of learning styles in academic performance has long been the question of many educationalists. Sensory learning styles, which categorize learners into three groups of visual, auditory, and tactile students, have been said to be likely to play parts in academic performance. The purpose of the present study is twofold. Initially, this study aimed to see what weaknesses Iranian university students have in reading comprehension task. The next step was to seek if possessing different sensory learning styles can lead to a significant difference regarding reading comprehension performance. In this study, Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment was applied to provide us with comprehensive mastery reading subskill profiles of everyone. To do so, a reading comprehension test along with a learning style questionnaire were given to 301 Iranian university students, the responses were all divided into either correct or incorrect responses, and according to examinees’ questionnaire, they were categorized into three groups of visual, auditory, and tactile learners. According to the present study, Iranian university students were found to have difficulty dealing with implicitly stated information, understanding difficult vocabulary, and summarizing the textual information. Regarding the second question of this study, visual learners performed significantly better than their auditory counterparts in four skills of Basic Linguistic Knowledge, Implicitly Stated Information, Understanding Difficult Vocabulary, and Understanding Complex Text. However, no significant difference was found between auditory and tactile participants. This result reinforces the prominent role of learning styles in academic and educational settings, to develop efficient instructions and curriculums that best meet learners’ needs.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the international community has confronted the emergence of a novel paradigm known as the "Global War on Terrorism." This framework has disrupted the equilibrium between human rights and national security, resulting in significant ramifications: it has not only compromised the fundamental rights of citizens but also adversely affected the basic rights of individuals suspected or accused of terrorist offenses. Governments engaged in counter-terrorism efforts bear the responsibility of maintaining a delicate balance between effective law enforcement and the safeguarding of civil liberties. While the existence of terrorism as a formidable threat is widely acknowledged, the protection of human rights - particularly the rights of the accused in anti-terrorism operations - remains paramount. There exists a consensus that, in the pursuit of counter-terrorism, all lawful means should be employed to prevent such crimes, with efforts to neutralize threats supporting the tenets of human rights. However, the central issue pertains to the precision and legality of these measures. This study aims to examine the challenges inherent in reconciling the respect for and protection of human rights with the imperative to combat terrorism, with a specific focus on the rights of the accused. The findings indicate that responses to terrorism must uphold the rule of law; neglecting human rights in the fight against terrorism risks creating an environment conducive to the proliferation of terrorism.