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speakers at a focus group meeting, titled ‘Promotion of Interfaith Harmony and Coexistence in the light of Paigham-e-Pakistan’, unanimously decided that as per Mithaq-e-Madinah charter all Muslim and non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan shall be treated with absolute equality and a subject of inter-faith harmony, tolerance and peaceful co-existence should be introduced as a compulsory subject in schools.
The meeting, organised by Islamic Research Institute (IRI) of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), was presided over by IIUI Rector Professor Dr. Masoom Yasinzai.
The event was also attended by Director General IRI, Dr. Muhammad Zia ul haq, Parliamentarians, religious scholars, academicians, intellectuals , Members of National Assembly (MNA) and prominent scholars belonging to the Hindu, Christian, Bhai, and Sikh communities, scholars of the institute and it was hosted by MNA Romina Khurshid Alam.
Speaking at the seminar, the parliamentarians, representatives of civil society, academicians and policy makers unanimously stressed the need for reviewing the country’s educational policy and ensuring training of teachers and scholars to respect other religions and their sacred places, on the basis that Islam did not allow extremist practices.
Most speakers said that common faith centers should be established in different areas of the country to enable people to practice their religion with freedom.
Addressing the participants, MNA Rubina Khursheed Alam read out a joint declaration saying that it was a continuation of the Paigham-e-Pakistan resolution, adopted on May 26 this year during a national seminar on ‘Reconstruction of Pakistani Society in the Light of Mithaq-e-Madinah’, under the chairmanship of the president of Pakistan.
The joint declaration said that Inter-faith religious and theological differences may not be debated without strictly following the ethics of disagreement. It added that Inter-faith dialogue is a legitimate tool for advancing harmony and co-existence. It should be promoted as a policy for maintaining peace, harmony and co-existence in the society.
The declaration further stated that every citizen had the right to employment sans discrimination. The religious sentiments of all the communities were important and should be supportive of each other, it added.
The declaration also mentioned that interfaith religious and theological differences should not be debated without strictly following the ethics of disagreement.
Meanwhile, speakers at the event said that interfaith dialogue was a legitimate tool for advancing harmony and co-existence, hence, it should be promoted as a policy for maintaining peace, harmony and co-existence in the society. Participants also said that lectures, seminars, speeches and conferences encouraging love mutual respect, harmony and cooperation with other religious communities should be promoted in the country.
Further, they demanded that religion based hate speeches should be discouraged and offenders should be penalised under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 by considering them crimes against state.
Speakers and participants at the seminar unanimously decided that the subject of interfaith harmony, tolerance and peaceful co-existence should be introduced as a compulsory subject in all primary and higher secondary schools of the country.
Moreover, they said there was a need to stress on religious scholars of all the faiths to promote nationalism, humanism, social cohesion and inter faith harmony in their respective religious gatherings on a weekly basis.
The above-mentioned declaration also stated that a corps of volunteers of peace should be raised by all religious communities to promote and protect social cohesion. It further stated that forceful conversion was not permitted in Islam and coercion in change of faith had no place in Shariah as well.
Rector, IIUI Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, in his speech said that religion was, is and will remain a central force in human life and religious diversity was vital for peaceful co-existence and interfaith harmony. He furthered the shrinking world demands that people of all the religion be united to build a prosperous, serene and peaceful world and these attributes should prevail in all societies. He also hailed IRI for its efforts and appreciated the presence of important of people of the society on a platform.
Dr. Zia Ul Haq, earlier apprised the participants about Paigham Pakistan declaration and decree of more than 30 scholars, while he told that IIUI was committed to provide balanced and well educated Islamic youth to the Muslim world.