On May 5, 2025, the French Department at NUML Islamabad organized a webinar titled “Explorons la littérature francophone à travers les œuvres de Mohamed Taan, romancier libanais” (Exploring Francophone Literature Through the Works of Lebanese Novelist Mohamed Taan). The event aimed to provide an overview of Francophone literature, with a focus on the works of Mohamed Taan, a Lebanese novelist who wrote ten novels in French, published in both France and Lebanon.
The webinar highlighted Lebanon’s unique linguistic landscape, where Arabic, English, and French are used academically. This multilingual environment has not only enabled Lebanese people to master French but also to produce significant literary works in the language. Mohamed Taan, though a surgeon by profession, dedicated himself to writing novels that depicted the devastation of the Lebanese civil war, the struggles of ordinary people, and the importance of religious, cultural, and social acceptance. His childhood spent in Francophone countries like Ivory Coast and Senegal deeply influenced his perspective.
Mr. Toufic Kojok, the resource person from Lebanon, delivered an insightful presentation on Taan’s novels, analyzing their themes and literary style. The event was attended by faculty members and students of the French Department, along with online participants. Ms. Kaynat Rashid, the Coordinator of the French Department, welcomed the attendees, followed by opening remarks from Dr. Aamir Zaheer, the Head of the Department. Dr. Zaheer spoke about the teaching of French at NUML and paid tribute to Mohamed Taan, who passed away in February 2025. He noted that this webinar was likely the first of its kind organized by the department.
During the interactive session, Mr. Kojok answered questions from students and teachers, discussing Taan’s life, his profession as a surgeon, and how his experiences shaped his literary works. The novels vividly portray the horrors of war while emphasizing resilience and coexistence. Dr. Zaheer concluded the event by thanking Mr. Kojok and all participants for their engagement, marking the webinar as a meaningful academic contribution to the study of Francophone literature.