Call to promote peaceful coexistence

LAHORE: Senior government officials and educationists on Tuesday urged all the religious institutions, including mosques, temples and churches, to share the messages of understanding, acceptance and peaceful coexistence.

They said this while addressing a seminar titled Intersect Harmony & Education System organised by the Centre for Peace & Secular Studies (CPSS) at the Punjab Institute for Language, Art and Culture (PILAC).

The speakers focused on the role of academia in promoting interfaith harmony. Punjab Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ejaz Alam Augustine said the government would introduce interfaith harmony as a subject in colleges and universities with focus on spreading awareness among the younger generation about interfaith harmony.

“I assure you that our government will counter hate material as we have assigned a person in the relevant department to ensure that no hate material is being spread,” he said. “We are making sure that no hate material is being spread or sold in markets, bookshops and in educational institutions,” he added.

“We are working on transforming curriculum with the help of a committee of people from different faiths,” he informed a questioner. “Our students will receive 40 per cent ethics and 60 per cent religious education under a new framework,” he told another questioner. Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights Mahinder Pal Singh said that all religions and faiths preach interfaith harmony and promote peaceful coexistence.

Islamic Ideology Council (IIC) member Mufti Raghib Hussain Naeemi said the Islamic seminaries were playing a major role in transforming younger generations to excel in various fields. “Our (seminary) students are becoming doctors, scientists, engineers, army soldiers and in different fields of technology,” he stated.

Wafaq-ul-Madaris Director Prof Abdul Rehman Ludhianvi said that everyone must know that visiting institutions of different religions had a positive impact because it bridged the gaps and promoted love and peace. University of Education Vice-Chancellor Dr Rauf-e-Azam said, “We need to understand each other.”

A student from Jamia Naeemia, Muhammad Moinuddin who secured second position recently in Lahore Board exams, also shared his success story. Dr Sughra Sadaf said several leaders from different seminaries created history in the fields like academia, history and politics. During the question-answer session, the panelists urged an urgent need to address the menace of extremism and intolerance.

Conference: Punjab University Pakistan Study Centre in collaboration with Centre for South Asian Studies will organise national conference on Kashmir dispute on Wednesday (today) at 11am in the committee room of Pakistan Study Centre. According to a press release, PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Pro-VC Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar and others will speak on the occasion.