Journalists, religious leaders train to promote peace, interfaith harmony

Religious scholars, academics and media experts have stressed that teachings based on a culture of non-violence, harmony, reconciliation and dialogue need to be promoted and referred to as the key ingredients of peace.

The Voice Media Network (VMN), an Islamabad-based media development organisation, conducted five training sessions on the theme of “the role of religious leaders and journalists in promotion of peace” in Karachi, which were concluded on Friday.

Over 100 religious leaders belonging to various faiths and sects and journalists covering religious affairs from across the city attended the training sessions, whose main focus was on enabling religious leaders and journalists to play their role constructively and in a manner that does not jeopardise peace and religious harmony.

The trainers included Dr. Syed Jaffer Ahmed, director of the Institute of Historical and Social Research; Mufti Zubair Ashraf Usmani from the Dar-ul-Uloom Karachi; Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan, former chairman of the Department of Mass Communications at the Federal Urdu University; leading scholar Dr Aliya Imam; Pakistan Madrasa Education Board’s former chairman Dr Aamir Tuaseen; educationist and journalist Najam Soharwardi; Islamic Research Institute for Social Sciences director Mujtaba Rathore; academics Dr Mohsin Naqvi; Prof Saeed Usmani; Dr Jahan Ara Lutfi; and Maulana Fazal Subhan.

The participants were trained on various measures required for independent community engagement and reporting on religious affairs, and on ways to deal with extremism and increase tolerance and harmony among the people. They were urged not to use derogatory terms for the people of other sects and faiths.

They were told to highlight examples and case studies to promote religious harmony through their writings and reportage, inviting scholars of different sects and exploring ways and means for sectarian harmony.

The trainers lamented the role being played by the media, adding that they were responsible for shaping public perception; hence, it was incumbent upon them to step forward and play their positive part to ensure an enduring peace.

In the training, trainers also discussed various aspects of social concerns owing to which religious and social harmony in the society was being harmed and hate speech promoted.

The speakers urged the participants to be open-minded in their writings and speeches, as well as expressing their views and respect the views of others.