Iqbal’s thought still unexplored

LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar at the GC University Lahore have said that “Reconstruction of Religious Thoughts in Islam” was a monumental achievement of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

Poet of the East presented those courageous and audacious views at a time when such topics were a taboo in a highly conservative and orthodox India. Allama Iqbal tried to reconcile then scientific views with Islam and construe a new theology, said eminent philosopher, thinker and academician Prof Dr Abdul Khaliq while addressing the seminar held in connection with 150 years celebrations of the university’s Department of Philosophy. GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah chaired the seminar.

Prof Abdul Khaliq stressed the need of taking the ideas of Iqbal forward in the light of modern day knowledge. He emphasised that Islam was facing new challenges in this age which are in the dire need to be addressed at the philosophical level so as to reduce ideological controversies and differences in the Muslim Ummah.

“Only understanding of the Holy Quran in the face of existing challenges may bring us out of the quagmire of extremism and bloodshed. Iqbal’s thoughts may be quite helpful in any such endeavour,” he added.

Prof Abdul Khaliq highlighted that Iqbal’s thoughts still had unexplored avenues which may be, rather, must be elucidated by young scholars and researchers. Speaking on the occasion, Philosophy Department Chairperson Dr Sobia Tahir presented the concise history of the department from 1868 to 2018. GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah also expressed his views regarding the importance of philosophy. He expressed with pride that GCU had the oldest department of philosophy in the entire sub-continent.

The seminar was attended by large number of students and faculty members besides Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Prof Dr Tahir Kamran, distinguished Professor Mirza Athar Baig, Dr Kaiser Mahmood, Prof Jalil-ur-Rahman, Prof Shahid Gul, Dr A Hassan Farooqi and Dr Javaid Iqbal Nadeem.

elected: Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah, the Vice-Chancellor of Government College University Lahore, has been elected as the Fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences. The Fellowships of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences are tightly restricted to the scientists and only scientists of the highest merit, who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge, are elected as the Fellows of the Academy.