Poetry from Dilnoza Islomova

Young Central Asian woman with a ruffled white blouse and earrings and long dark hair in the back seat of a car.

Dear Mother

You brought me into the world with hardship, dear mother

Sleepless at nights, whenever I was in pain

I know I still trouble you even now

But, mother, I love you

You have suffered so much because of me

But unlike others, you never gave me reproach

Protecting and cherishing me until now

You care for me even when you’re in pain

Your love overflows in your beautiful heart

You always remember the good I have done

Sadly, you have suffered much from me

Forgive me, dear mother, pardon me

Dilnoza Islomova is from Turtkul district in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. She’s currently a high school student and a future poet, who started writing small poems from a young age. She has read many books and is a curious girl who never stops growing and applies herself in every field.

Essay from Nilufar Mo’ydinova

Central Asian young woman in a white collared top and blue jeans in front of a stone historic looking building with a wooden door.

THE LANGUAGE — A MIRROR OF THE NATION

Annotation

This article analyzes the role of language in human life and society, its close connection with thinking, culture, and history. The function of language as a medium that reflects the spirit of a nation, its developmental stages, societal significance, and its status in the era of globalization are examined from a scientific perspective. Furthermore, the intrinsic interrelationships between language and thought, language and culture, and language and social consciousness are explored.

Keywords:

language, nation, thinking, culture, communication, globalization, identity, society, values.

Introduction

Language is the most important tool that expresses the historical and cultural wealth of every nation. Through language, values, traditions, knowledge, and experiences are passed from one generation to the next. It is not only a means of communication, but also a mirror that reflects a people’s identity, worldview, and intellectual level. In today’s process of globalization, the disappearance of many national languages makes the issue of preserving and developing language even more urgent. Therefore, this article provides an in-depth analysis of the social, cultural, psychological, and philosophical aspects of language.

Main Body

Language is a system of symbols that serves to establish communication between people, exchange ideas, and transmit knowledge, culture, and emotions. Its most essential form is spoken speech, although it also exists in written form, gestures, numbers, and other formats. Language is a tool for expressing thought, through which a person understands the world, reflects on it, and shares their ideas with others.

Language reflects the identity of each nation. Every language embodies the spiritual world, worldview, values, customs, and history of its people. Therefore, to preserve a language means to preserve national identity, cultural wealth, and historical heritage. As the cultural memory of a nation, language is transmitted from generation to generation.

The primary functions of language include:

Communicative (communication)

Nominative (naming)

Expressive (expressing emotions)

Cognitive (means of thinking)

Socialization (adapting to society)

Cultural memory

Each of these functions makes language an inseparable part of human life.

Language develops continuously like a living organism. New words emerge, while old ones become obsolete. Social changes, technological progress, and globalization directly impact language. In the era of globalization, many languages are under threat of extinction. Therefore, each nation must respect and protect its own language.

Language and thought are closely intertwined. Language serves as a tool for expressing thought. Human thinking is reflected in language, and language enriches thought. Through language, a person becomes self-aware, finds their place in society, expresses their ideas, and communicates with others. Thus, language is the most crucial feature distinguishing humans from other beings.

By deeply studying language, a person not only understands their own culture but also the cultural wealth of other nations. Language fosters mutual understanding, cooperation, and respect. Neglecting language leads to moral decline, historical disconnect, and loss of identity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, language is the spiritual mirror of a nation. It embodies historical, cultural, and intellectual wealth, and serves as a means of preserving national identity. Language is the greatest treasure of a people, through which their cultural heritage, worldview, and intellectual level are manifested. Preserving and developing language and passing it correctly to future generations is the historical duty and moral responsibility of every conscious citizen.

Especially in today’s world, where globalization, the expansion of the digital information field, and the influence of foreign languages are increasing, paying attention to one’s mother tongue becomes even more important. Language is not just a tool for communication, but a reflection of a nation’s soul, spirituality, and thought.

Language is both the product of human thought and a means of shaping social consciousness. It preserves the historical memory of a nation and serves as a spiritual-cultural bridge between generations. In this sense, the attitude towards language reflects the attitude toward the nation. If a nation loses its language, it may lose its identity, history, culture, and even its independence.

The Uzbek language is an independent language with a unique phonetic system, rich vocabulary, and broad expressive capacity, supported by a thousand-year-old written tradition. Thinkers such as Babur, Alisher Navoi, Ogahi, and Furqat created literary works in this language and elevated it to the language of science and culture. Especially Alisher Navoi, through his works, deeply revealed the potential of the Uzbek language and brought it to global recognition.

In modern times, the status of the mother tongue is being solidified at the state level. According to Article 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek language is the state language. This provides a legal foundation for its development and full use in all areas. In today’s era of information and communication technology, it is essential that young people, especially students, develop a conscious attitude toward language, adhere to the norms of literary language, and enhance their ability to express themselves fluently and logically in their native language. This is not only a matter of personal development but also a vital factor in the progress of the nation.

Language unites people, preserves history, values, and experiences. Therefore, through studying, developing, and enriching language, not only culture but the entire nation rises. This directly contributes to spiritual revival, the formation of a strong civil society, and the preservation of national independence.

In short, our native language is the foundation of our identity and the essential reflection of our spirit. Valuing, protecting, and developing it is the moral duty of every individual.

References

G‘afurov, N. Language and Thinking. Tashkent: UzMU Publishing, 2019.

Jo‘rayev, O. Speech and Society. Samarkand, 2020.

Karimov, I. High Spirituality — Invincible Power. Tashkent, 2008.

Mahmudov, N., Yusupov, Sh. Uzbek Language. Tashkent: National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan, 2017.

Official Publications of UNESCO and LSA (Linguistic Society of America):

www.unesco.org (http://www.unesco.org/), www.linguisticsociety.org (http://www.linguisticsociety.org/)

Nilufar Mo’ydinova was born in Qo‘shtepa district of Fergana region, Republic of Uzbekistan. She graduated from the Uzbek State University of World Languages. She currently works as a manager at the “Fair Print” Typography Service. Her articles have been published in the newspaper Bekajon.

Essay from Abdisattorova Hurshida

Central Asian young woman with dark hair and a blue coat over a white collared shirt.

WHEN DREAMS SPREAD THEIR WINGS

Abdulbosit Abdullayev started practicing taekwondo from his childhood. However, after about eight years, he said goodbye to this sport. There is a saying, “A father gives life, a coach teaches how to live.” Because, at the wish of his parents, he tried himself in the military field. Under the guidance of his coach Otabek Qurbanov, he began practicing the sport of firefighters and rescuers. His love for sports eventually prevailed. From the age of seventeen, he began participating in competitions and started achieving good results. When he began to achieve significant success even among adults, self-confidence appeared in him.

“To achieve success, I had to overcome many obstacles. At the age of twenty, I broke my leg. I lay in a cast for forty-three days. I really suffered. My parents said, ‘Son, take care of your health.’ I myself almost decided to quit sports. But after all my efforts, struggles, and hardships, giving up just like that felt too painful,” says the hero of our article.

“No, I must be strong,” he says in our interview, “and that inner feeling brought me back to sports.”

In 2022, at the World Championship held in Samarkand, he achieved 3rd place in the overall team ranking. In 2023, his name was proudly written into the golden pages of history with beautiful memories as one of the winners of the first place among nearly 20 countries in the fire-applied sport of firefighters held in Istanbul, Turkey. Of course, such achievements cannot be reached easily. Under the guidance of his coaches – Umid Bolibekov, Khurshid Abdullayev, Sanjar Tajibayev, and Otabek Qurbanov – we worked for hours day and night in training. Sometimes, while overcoming obstacles, there were falls, broken hands and legs, and injuries. In any situation, speed is required. Labor leads a person to happiness, and profession to success,” said our interviewee.

His professional career is also interesting. From 2017 to 2022, he began working as an instructor at the IIB YOXBB of Buston district. From 2022 to 2024, he worked as a junior sergeant in the 6-YOQQ fire rescue unit of the Asaka district FVB. Since January 13, 2024, he has been transferred to the Communication Department of the Andijan Regional Emergency Situations Department.

Becoming a master of any skill or profession is one of the greatest achievements in life. To be knowledgeable, a person must also research. Abdulbosit Rahmonov graduated from Andijan State University, majoring in Physical Culture.

For the 2024 World Championship to be held in China, only 10 athletes were selected from more than 30 children during the training process. It was pleasing that Abdulbosit Abdullayev was among them. More than 20 countries participated in the World Championship held in China. Our team achieved 4th place in the fire rescue sport. Abdulbosit updated Uzbekistan’s national record in the 100-meter obstacle race with a result of 15.48 seconds.

Of course, the opponents were strong: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia. Especially China is making great progress. May Abdulbosit’s successful journey continue! We wish him luck and victory in raising our flag even higher in competitions.

Abdisattorova Hurshida Suvon qizi was born on November 9, 1997, in the village of Olmazor, Chirakchi district, Kashkadarya region. She is currently a third-year student of Sports Journalism at the University of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Her articles have been published in the newspapers Hurriyat and Vaziyat, as well as on the websites Olamsport and Ishonch. She is also a participant of the international scientific-practical conference titled “Future Scientist – 2025.”

Essay from To’raqulova Pokiza Sanjarovna

Central Asian woman with sunglasses, a tee shirt, a black purse and blue jeans in front of buildings with big semicircular windows and trees and grass and a road.

I graduated from school with excellent grades. Currently, I am a 3rd year student at Termez University of Economics and Service. I have more than 10 articles. I am the owner of the “Rector’s Scholarship” for the 2024-2025 academic year. I have participated in various competitions. In January, I actively participated in Shokhida Yusupova’s “Shine with Shokhida” 5-day marathon and was awarded a certificate. In June, I went on a trip to Indonesia with our University. On July 27, I was awarded a certificate for my successful participation in the master class on the topic “Empower, Educate, Elevate!” organized on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the Shine Girls’ Academy.

“My philosophy of life or what speech do you see yourself giving in 10 years?”

Abstract: Dreams, my schedule, my expenses, my family, me in 10 years.

People have endless dreams and aspirations, and people live striving for their dreams. Just like everyone has their own dreams, one of my dreams is to travel to many countries, walk along the seashore, create my own small library, become an accomplished expert in my profession, have my own home and car, have my favorite wardrobe and be with my loved ones. Philosophy of life is a philosophical movement that studies and interprets the problems of the meaning, purpose, and value of life. Life is an integral whole that is primarily reality, and then divided into spirituality and materiality, consciousness and being.

Life is the main concept of the Philosophy of Life. The Philosophy of Life seeks to understand the essence of life in itself. It glorifies feelings and instincts, criticizes and denies reason. According to supporters of the Philosophy of Life, the concept of life is complex, multifaceted, and does not have its own clear interpretation. Creativity, especially artistic creativity, is extremely important for the Philosophy of Life, it is even life itself. At this point, the Philosophy of Life approaches non-rational intuitionism, its theory of knowledge. For example, the fact that the dynamics of life, the individual nature of a thing-event cannot be expressed in general concepts, but can be understood directly, through intuition, is characteristic of both trends.

The Philosophy of Life sees a sharp difference in the approach of science and philosophy to the world. Science seeks to master and subjugate the world, while philosophy is characterized by observation, and in this feature it is close to art. Reason is by its nature disconnected from life; intellectual knowledge and the science based on it can comprehend not things, but only the relationships between things. Rational knowledge is aimed at satisfying purely practical interests, at useful expediency. Non-intellectual, intuitive, figurative-symbolic methods of comprehending life are opposed to scientific knowledge. A work of art, especially poetry and music, is a means of understanding and relatively accurately expressing life. Life is interesting, it tests us all with various tests and rewards. The true essence of our life is to do good and strive for enlightenment.

The ideas of humanism have been around for centuries is being promoted, examples of this are countless like raindrops. Recently, I witnessed an incident, a mother who was walking her child on the street nervously looked at a special trans worker on the street and said to her child: “If you don’t get an education and study well, your life will be miserable like that trans worker.” Hearing this, I had to join their conversation, “Excuse me, if your child gets a good education, he will help those in such professions, he will take society out of the stream of poverty, after all, they say that education is a vaccine against ignorance,” I ended my speech by saying. Today we have changed, today our souls have been renewed, and our bodies are free like clouds, but our hearts are still alone in the darkness of darkness.

Most parents themselves do not instill universal human values in their children from childhood, and in the genetics of the future, the level of contempt for lower-class people, materialism, and an empathetic approach will continue to expand in regressive generations. Education is a gem that is instilled not by control, but by example. Many people ask me, “What is your biggest dream?” Do you have any dreams or goals? Yes, they do. Some want to live in high-rise buildings and buy expensive cars, some strive for career advancement, and still others are in the process of renewing their tattered clothes, getting rid of the scourge of helplessness, and finding food for today. Today, we are becoming creatures of the world of egoism. The phrase “I” is scattered like small fish swimming in the ocean. Don’t rush, I know the thought that came to your mind while reading me, this life is given only once, people should live only for themselves, life is a place of pleasure, not a time to think about others.

A person will never stop dreaming as long as they live. For this, you need to work and ask God and have a little patience. Nowadays, many people do not know how to be grateful. They always complain, “I can’t do it, I don’t have money, and so on.” What does a person look like if he doesn’t work or try? I always like to be in motion and work on myself. I’m already moving for my future. If I don’t work now, it may be too late. This has been discussed in many books. Nowadays, I write down my daily schedule for myself. I hate waking up at different times every day. This is one of my principles. I always wake up at 6 o’clock. Then I spend 30 minutes on some work. After having a family breakfast, I go to my preparatory courses. After my preparatory course, I come home, have lunch, and then head to the university. My classes start at 1:00 PM, and

It ends at 17:30. After class, my classmates and I go to a cafe and chat a little before heading home. When I get home, I start cooking dinner and prepare for my university and course lessons. After that, we have a family dinner, we chat a little and have dessert. I think this is a great feeling for me. My expenses, my current source of income is my parents, and I get money from them for all my expenses. My expenses are not very high.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that in 2025, I achieved a lot. In April 2025, I became the owner of the “Rector’s Scholarship”. This was great news for me. Of course, it was not easy to achieve this, but I did it. After that, I was awarded a certificate for my successful participation in the “Shine with Shokhida” 100-day project of Shokhida Yusupova, a famous woman and girl. This was another dream of mine. I also write articles and currently have more than 10 articles. A person should never stop. My motto in life is “Don’t stop”.

To’raqulova Pokiza Sanjarovna was born in 2006 in the city of Termez, Surkhandarya region.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou reviews Turkia Loucif’s novel The Legend of a Squirrel

Young middle aged Arab woman with a pink headscarf and flowered blouse standing under a tree on a sunny day holding a copy of her book with the head of an old king and a squirrel side by side.

“Myth, Symbolism, and Patriotism: An Exploration of Turkia Loucif’s The Legend of a Squirrel”

The novel “The Legend of a Squirrel” by Turkia Loucif is a captivating literary work that draws inspiration from mythological and symbolic heritage to present a national vision. The story revolves around a conflict between good and evil, with the squirrel representing friendly peoples who helped Algeria in its revolution against French occupation. The castle symbolizes the homeland, while the faeries represent evil forces seeking to take control.

The novel explores themes of patriotism, sacrifice, and the struggle for power, with a unique blend of fantasy and reality. The author’s use of symbolism and mythological elements adds depth and complexity to the narrative, making it accessible to a wide range of readers.

The translation of the novel into English by Ahmed Farouk Beydoun and the Albanian proofreader Kujtim Hajdari has made it possible for a global audience to experience the story. The novel’s success is evident in its bestseller status at exhibitions held in Algeria, and its translation marks an important step in the author’s literary career.

Dr. Mohamed Bashir Bouijra’s critical review highlights the novel’s artistic and literary merits, noting its unique blend of fantasy and social commentary. The review also praises the author’s use of language, which is both accessible and engaging.

As the linguistic reviewer of this novel, Kujtim Hajdari notes that Turkia Loucif’s writing style is characterized by its clarity, precision, and mastery of the Arabic language. Her use of vocabulary is rich and nuanced, and her sentences are structured in a way that is both logical and aesthetically pleasing. The novel’s themes of social justice, power, and the human condition are timely and thought-provoking, and Loucif’s exploration of these themes is both nuanced and insightful.

Poetry from Gloria Ameh

My Confessional

Let this page be my confessional & these metaphors my prayer 

for I have sinned in silence too long

my tongue dressed in the mourning clothes of vowels

Words are the daggers I sheathe in beauty

each blade learning to masquerade as a rose

Every poem a breath stolen from despair

a blackbird in my throat rehearsing the opera of grief

until my chest becomes a stage

The pen is a restless pilgrim

wandering the parchment like a fevered exile

its footsteps blistered into the whiteness

searching for an altar

where absolution sleeps beneath a veil of dust

The past is a poet & I am its recurring metaphor

a line break abandoned mid‑sentence

a chorus stitched from yesterday’s ash

Our Confessional

I have learned my grief is just a translation

of the grief cities carry when they collapse into themselves

Every cracked street is a broken rib

& somewhere the earth flinches in my exact shape

In my circadian cycle I battle pain like a front soldier 

bayonet sharpened on the moon’s bone

sleep a trench I never climb out of

my shadow hauling the wounded daylight back into my skull

The wound in me is the wound in the river

the wound in the river is the wound in the sea

& the sea has been weeping long before my name was born

We drink from the chalice of tomorrow

while today still burns on our tongue.

My father’s warning walks beside me like a second spine

if you walk the path of a fool you will bear the consequences

& the road will bend to whisper them into your ankles

I dream of freedom the way continents dream of drifting back together 

as if loneliness is the first geography we all learn

And so I drag my shadow through the corridors of my own body

searching for a window wide enough for my wounds to leap from

Some nights the pen turns executioner

chiseling my ribs into confessionals

& I write until the page becomes a mirror

where ruin learns to call itself by my name

Poetry from Mesfakus Salahin

South Asian man with reading glasses and red shoulder length hair. He's got a red collared shirt on.
Mesfakus Salahin

Mritiqa

‎Mritiqa, can you walk?

‎From one heart to another.

‎Can you arrange emotions?

‎in the heart of a boring world.

‎Can you paint with the colors of the sun?

‎The hungry stomach of the sea that has been thrown up.

‎Can you  play the flute of Hamilto?

‎In the cursed city gathered on the forehead.

‎Can you make a walking path?

‎In the unnecessary glands.

‎Can you read?

‎The silent call.

‎Can you absorb?

‎The red tears that tore my heaven.

‎Can you make me

‎a dreamy musical piece

‎Come and slowly touch

‎My final twilight.

‎Look at this vast sea of people

‎Silent in the half-darkness and the crushing darkness.

‎The fields, the mountains, the valleys, the springs are oppressed

‎Dead winter, dead spring.

‎The dead emotions of living people walk around

‎On the path flowing past the grave.

‎Candles do not illuminate the grave of the heart

‎Immortal death on the edge of the sleepless night

‎I return to you in deep sorrow

‎Leaving my hometown to the forest.

‎All pain fades away in an instant

‎In the cage of your innocent chest.

‎I like to do in search of you

‎In the form of the wind.

‎Embrace me once in both arms

‎The beginning of a bright new day

‎Cast anchor in the song of the primeval night

‎Where civilization sprouts from seeds

‎My fire pit – eager for freedom

‎In the united march of free living