Teachers, ulema can counter extremism: moot

QUETTA: The role of teachers and ulema is of vital importance in character building of students at educational institutions and madaris to achieve lasting peace and tranquility through elimination of extremism, sectarianism and terrorism from the society, according to speakers at a training workshop held here on Monday.

The workshop organised by the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) Quetta was attended by a large number of students, faculty members, religious scholars and civil society members. The aim of the activity was to help promote religious tolerance, collateral peace and altruism in the Pakistani society.

Islamic Research Institute (IRI) Islamabad Director General Dr Ziaul Haq and Dr Kashif from the BUITEMS were prominent among those who spoke on the occasion.

Addressing the participants, the speakers said the role of teachers and ulema was most important in promoting love and fraternity and resolving disputes in the society. They said the conflicts of different nature in the world were creating numerous problems and also providing a breeding ground for terrorism. “We all seem to have a role in some way in the spread of such strife,” they observed, adding that in order to disseminate the message of love and peace in the society, internal peace was the first requirement. “When we are at peace within ourselves, only then we can make the society peaceful. We can enjoy life only when there is peace and love in the society,” they said.

“Instinctively humans are peaceful but circumstances compel them to opt for wrong paths in their lives. If we want peace, we will have to promote the positive approaches to life,” they believed, and called upon the faculty members and ulema to come forward and help determine the right direction for the society which will eventually be helpful in bringing peace and stability in the country. “Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) in his last sermon taught us the lesson of basic human rights. It is need of the hour to review our curricula to include human rights, which will help counter the trends of extremism and sectarianism among youth,” the opined.

The speakers threw light on the social and traditional implications of changing and emerging roles of faculty members and ulema for peace-building and countering violent extremism in the society. They said the university faculty members and ulema must inculcate values of tolerance, tranquility and pluralism among youth to promote exclusivity and peaceful coexistence, adding that the Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative was key to countering extremism and a way forward for the country to march on the path of peace and prosperity.

The workshop sensitized the participants on countering violent extremism by highlighting various aspects of extremism, its stages and counter strategies, besides imparting training to the faculty members of universities and ulema belonging to different madaris to help promote peace, harmony and friendly relations between various segments of the society as well as different religious groups in the country.