In our holy religion, acquiring knowledge is considered an obligation for every Muslim, both women and men. Why specifically for women? Because in the family, the upbringing, morality, and knowledge of a child largely depends on the mother. It is precisely intelligent, conscious mothers who raise a comprehensively capable, educated generation. In the development of such great figures as our great ancestors – Amir Temur, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, Alisher Navoi, Abu Nasr Al-Farabi, Abu Ali ibn Sino, there was a place and prayers for book-loving, enlightened mothers.
Unfortunately, in our recent history, in particular, during the last khanates, not enough attention was paid to women’s education. In some cases, there were even periods when they were strictly forbidden to study. But Uzbek women, whose blood reflected the spirit of courageous women like Tomaris, Bibikhanim, Nodirabegim, and Uvaysi, fought for education, to find their place in society, and to liberate their homeland from colonialism. They worked resolutely towards their dreams, despite all obstacles.
There have been many such heroes in our history. The Jadid movement was especially widespread in Bukhara. In the 1929s, many young people were sent to study in Germany and Turkey under the leadership of our Jadid grandfather Abdurauf Fitrat. Among them were future doctors like 17-year-old Khayriniso Majidkhanova and scientists like Maryam Sultanmurodova. They aimed to serve the country with science for the prosperity of the homeland. Because the foundation of any society that dreamed of independence was science and the experience of developed countries.
Unfortunately, the former Soviet Union did not allow this. They were afraid of the people who recognized their rights and fought for freedom. In 1938, along with intellectuals such as Fitrat, Abdulla Qodiriy, and Chulpon, young girls with lofty dreams were also shot. However, this tragedy did not make the girls who wanted to get an education give up their dreams or scare them. On the contrary, it strengthened their determination, perseverance, and thirst for enlightenment.
Omonova Sevinch Oybek qizi, 2nd year student of Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute
J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is trapped in suburbia, hoping to escape one day. He’s been widely published over the years, most recently at Disturb the Universe Magazine, The Beatnik Cowboy, The Rye Whiskey Review, Misfit Magazine and Mad Swirl. You can find him most days betting on baseball games and taking care of his disabled mother. He has a blog, but rarely finds the time to write on it anymore. (https://evildelights.blogspot.com)
The breath of the Keukenhof tulip garden is divine
A treasure trove of man-made nature masterpieces.
Rows like rainbow lines in a tulip garden
Attracting the attention of sightseers
Wonder and magic lie there
A glimpse of paradise on earth
In this sanctuary, the heart finds peace.
A place surrounded by trees and flowers
Beautifully connected by sunshine
Windmill in the middle of the garden
Truly looks like a picturesque design
Let’s get lost in the beauty of the Keukenhof Tulip Garden.
Faisal Justin is a passionate young poet and author who brings a unique voice to the literary world. Having spent four years as a refugee, he now resides in the Netherlands, where he is committed to furthering his education. Motivated by his dedication to the Rohingya community, he strives to amplify their stories and challenges, ensuring their voices resonate globally. Through his writing and advocacy, he aims to inspire change and foster hope within his community, believing that collective efforts can lead to a brighter future.
searching in silence for what the heart longs to shout.
But you—
your words, even clumsy,
come to awaken mine.
You bring back impulses I thought extinguished,
tender angers,
new shivers,
phrases I would never have dared to lay on the page.
Love is kind.
Love is frightening.
Love both enlightens and blinds.
It touches even those
who claim not to want it.
It seeps through the cracks,
and sometimes, waiting blossoms into a silent miracle.
It also hides in those blurred friendships,
where glances say more than lips,
where gestures brush against something greater
without ever naming it.
I don’t always understand the situation.
But I dare.
I dare anyway.
I dare to hope despite the unknown.
I dare to look for you in the crowd,
to lose myself in your silence,
to follow you in the gentle shadow of your absences.
I dare to move toward you
even when everything tells me to step back.
I dare to drink from your laughter,
to share crumbs of light between two silences,
to watch you smile without saying a word,
and to spend nights guessing if you dream of me.
I don’t know where all this leads,
but I go—
with a beating heart, in a low voice,
with my doubts,
my impulses,
and this wild need to tell you:
I am here,
I am everywhere,
in this mad world,
in this blurred horizon.
—
II
The Smile and the Silence
A smile
does not mean
one is happy.
There are tears
in the heart
that never reach the eyes.
We come from a life
woven of contradictions,
and we leave it
without ever solving them.
We move forward
between shadow and blur,
head held high,
heart held low.
I leave hanging
the endless questions:
life,
death,
and the reasons to stay.
Sometimes,
a smile is a barrier,
a barrier against falling apart.
There are cries
we hide in our eyes,
screams muffled
inside silences.
And the one who smiles the most…
is often the one
nobody
understands.
A sad soul
A realist mind
—
Hanen MAROUANI
Strasbourg 07.08.2025
.
BIOGRAPHY:
Hanen Marouani is a Tunisian-Italian poet and researcher with a PhD in French language and literature, focused on Reported Speech in the Narratives of Albert Camus: An Enunciative Approach. She is the author of several poetry collections, essays, and articles, and her work centers on Francophone poetry, intercultural dialogue, and the visibility of marginalized voices.
She contributes to “Le Pan Poétique des Muses” as a journalist and literary columnist, and collaborates with the “Union of Arab Journalists and Writers” in Europe. Active in literary translation through “ATLAS”, she also leads workshops and community initiatives exploring creativity, humanity, and women’s voices across cultures.
A two-time laureate of the “Eugen Ionescu doctoral and postdoctoral research program” (2018, 2022) in Romania, she continues to combine scholarship and creation with strong intercultural engagement.
Her collection “Tout ira bien… ” won the 2023 International Poetry Prize of the Poéféministe Orientales Review, and she received the Francophonie Europoésie UNICEF Prize in Paris in 2022 for her literary work. Since 2023, she has served on the jury of the Dina Sahyouni Literary Prize, after chairing in 2022 the international poetry contest Poetry and Pandemic, organized by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie.
A brief synopsis of the book’s theme of “Common Era Literature”:
The “common era literature 2001–3000” refers to literary works produced during the 3rd millennium of the Common Era (CE).
A globalized perspective: Common Era literature reflects a globalized world, where cultural and national identities are increasingly intertwined. This is a departure from earlier literary traditions that often focused on a single culture or nation.
The influence of technology: Technology has significantly impacted the production, distribution, and consumption of literature in the 21st century. The rise of the internet, e-books, and social media has created new forms of storytelling and poetry.
Diverse voices: A growing emphasis on inclusivity has led to a more diverse range of authors and perspectives. Women, people of color, and individuals from various cultural backgrounds are gaining prominence in the literary world.
An exploration of contemporary issues: Common Era literature often grapples with contemporary social and political issues, such as terrorism, environmental concerns, and the impact of technology on human relationships.
Poetry Sample from the Book:
HAZY DREAM
by Jacques Fleury
A hazy familiar abstraction….
Like a decoupage painting
Designed as a distraction
Like watching you dreaming…
Mesmerized by a wistful whiff of
Melancholy and underlying yearning
for the joy of a blossoming aliveness.
You, a relay of impressionist painter Claude Monet
All while in the deep end of steep sleep;
I was transfixed and transported in your succoring still,
Even if for a sparkly shine of a firefly
Nestled in the arms of the numbing night,
Like the brevity of life itself…beautifully rendered
Even if only in your dream state;
Until daylight swallows the night
And dreams come AWAKE!
Jacques Fleury
Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Spirit of Change Magazine, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at: http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–
Jacques Fleury’s book You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Understanding Your Authentic Self
Zisis Papaioanou is an actor and children’s literature author who manages to bridge two worlds: acting and children’s books. He has appeared in theater, television, and cinema, while at the same time, through his books, he conveys knowledge, imagination, and values to children. His participation in the new film *The Carpenter’s Son*, starring alongside Nicolas Cage, as well as his books such as *Vasiliki, the Magical Echo of Epidaurus* and *Aristotle’s Walk*, highlight the breadth and creativity of his career.
What follows is a discussion that sheds light both on his artistic side and on the man behind the works.
—
**Tell us a few words about your role as a leper healed by Jesus in the new film *The Carpenter’s Son*, where Nicolas Cage also stars. Did this experience strengthen your faith?**
I wouldn’t say it strengthened it because I come from beautiful Meteora — I am from Kalabaka — with the most wonderful experiences I have had. My faith in the Church has saved me during this difficult period. I also taught for years and for 15 years I was an altar boy alongside a wonderful monk, Father Chrysostomos, from whom I learned to have the fitting faith and inner peace in daily life. Everyone experiences faith differently.
The film *The Carpenter’s Son*, directed by Nathan Lotfy — when I received the proposal from Los Angeles to participate — excited me, especially the idea of acting in a new film about the childhood years of Jesus. My role was the Leper whom Jesus healed, because wherever He passed and touched, He healed people. I knew the story through scripture, but it is even more fascinating to live it through acting. I was among wonderful people with passion and love for cinema. See you in theaters in the coming months.
—
**Among your children’s books, *Vasiliki, the Magical Echo of Epidaurus* stands out. What does sound mean to you, and what does Epidaurus mean to you personally?**
Yes, indeed *Vasiliki, the Magical Echo of Epidaurus* has traveled widely, has been read a lot, and I am deeply grateful to my readers. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. It has made its journey, and years later it continues to travel. It is my pride. I believed in it, and I was vindicated — I feel proud.
The echo is music, sound, journey, feeling, and discovery. For me, as an actor, Epidaurus embodies all these elements. At this point, I would like to thank my publisher, **Michalis Sideris Publications**, for the beautiful journey of my heroine Vasiliki.
—
**In your book *Aristotle’s Walk*, you introduce children to the great philosopher. How relevant is Aristotle today, and what have you personally discovered through this “walk”?**
This particular book is from **Kaktos Publications**, titled *Aristotle’s Walk*. It has a special feature: you can also listen to it with one click via the QR code on its first page.
Aristotle always touched me — his method — and I thought it right to pass it on to children. To your question whether Aristotle is relevant today: I will answer, he is astonishingly relevant in 2025, despite the fact that his works were written thousands of years ago. From ethics and politics to logic and his peripatetic method.
I will mention Aristotle’s view of virtue: he said virtue lies somewhere in the middle. Balance is important for our times in 2025. Personally, I discovered balance in all aspects of my life. It helps — it is something like a psychologist. I encourage you to discover Aristotle; he will help you.
—
**Where do you draw inspiration for writing your wonderful children’s books?**
It depends on what I want to convey to children through my books. I discuss it with my publishers, and that’s how I proceed. It is something that comes naturally — I don’t force it.
—
**Which of your children’s books is your favorite, and why?**
I don’t have one in particular. All my books are like my children. I treat them as such. They are my creations — I have given them flesh and bones to travel.
—
**You have embodied many roles in theater, television, and cinema. Which role do you single out and what did it leave you with?**
In the film *Eftychia*, I played the role of the fiancé. We had an amazing cast of actors, and I feel nostalgic about those days under the Acropolis. The director, Mr. Angelos Frantzis, played an important part — a director who masterfully puts you in the atmosphere of the era so you can perform.
—
**If you had to choose, what do you prefer more: acting or writing?**
Both are parts of my life. These are what I studied, these are what I do. And it is a blessing to do what you love. Life is short.
—
**Although I first saw you on television, I got to know you better through my friend and collaborator Eva Petropoulou-Lianou, who suggested I interview you. What is Eva Petropoulou-Lianou to you?**
Ah, this woman… for me, personally, she is **WOMAN**. To be more specific, there are women all over the world, but in Greece lives the goddess Eva Lianou Petropoulou. She is the one who supported me in the hardest time of my life.
It is important when you have suffered something to have someone for psychological support. Being orphaned and alone, I had Eva, who helped me significantly to move forward and see things with a freer and clearer perspective.
—
**Do you believe theater can be an important educational tool for children today?**
Of course! That’s why there is Theater Pedagogy and theatrical play for minors and beyond. I have taught for many years in the past, and it was a wonderful journey I will never forget. I hope I can take it up again from where I left it.
There are thousands of exercises in rhythm, orientation, communication, self-respect, respecting others, discovering another world and the real one. Exercises that help your inner self and those around you. Very important.
—
**How would you like to be remembered by your young readers and audiences?**
With a smile. That’s what I would love.
—
**What are your next steps, both as an actor and as a writer?**
I am currently auditioning for three television commercials in France. In a few days, I expect the results. At the same time, I have started writing a theatrical monologue based on a true story I personally experienced, and I would like to put it on paper — and hopefully bring it to the stage.
It deals with the new reality of crime in the center of Athens. Recently, I survived an attack — but it left me with a “why” about a State that does not care for Greek citizens. I consider it a shame that we lack rights while others have them. This is not racist — racism lies within **us**.
In my opinion, we must return to being human as we once were.
At this point, I would like to make an appeal to the Greek State: please create campaigns for humanity. It is not shameful to call 100 (the police emergency number) if you see someone bleeding in the street. Call 100, indicate the location, and leave — but call. Don’t pass by in fear. It is not shameful to call 100. It is help — because yesterday it was **me**, tomorrow it may be **you**.
