A three day international conference on “Rights of the Child in Islam” organized by Shariah academy commenced on Tuesday, where academicians and experts, child rights activists,, judges, lawyers, journalists and religious scholars discussed obligations of parents, individuals and the state to protect the rights of the child, Right of the child within the family and many other salient topics and themes.
The Shariah Academy is holding this conference in collaboration with United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Pakistan which is focused to discuss and recommend future policy development for the strengthened realization of the rights of children living in Muslim-majority states.
The inaugural ceremony was chaired by the IIUI Rector, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, while Chief Guest of the ceremony was Justice Retired Ali Nawaz Chowhan, Chairman NCHR Pakistan, while it was also attended by IIUI President, Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, Ambassadors of various countries, UNICEF representatives, Vice President AF&P, Dr. Muhammad Munir and IIUI faculty and students.
The conference’s recommendations can be a great source of help regarding the legislation in the bill on juvenile system, said Justice Chowhan. He added that rights of the child being violated by few negative elements who unfortunately use name of religion in this regard and plan destructive activities such as suicide bombings. He emphasized on the need that universities such as IIUI must be part of main stream to recommend ways and urge for the protection of child rights in the Muslim societies. Justice Chowhan called upon the Muslim world to devise well balanced curriculum to enlighten children. He also stressed that parliament should give special importance to befitting juvenile laws.
IIUI Rector Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said that children have a prerogative to have access to sports and the unfortunate aspect he identified was absence of nurture as he added that children are being taught the curriculum based subjects but the ethical issues and personality building in the light if Islam was being ignored in the educational institutions and families. He furthered that lack of appropriate brought up leads to nepotism, corruption and fatal such as rigidity. IIUI Rector also called for a well devised strategy regarding malnutrition and said that it was need of hour to address the issue in constructive forums.
Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, in his speech said that slam cares about childhood and Muslims regard children as gifts/trust from Allah (SWT). Parents will be held responsible for this trust on the Day of Judgment. He maintained that no other religion has dedicated specified and comprehensive rights to children but Islam.
He said that hence Islam pays particular attention to rights of children and to the proper manner to raise them, so that they will be equipped to face the difficulties of life. He added children have the right to be fed, clothed and protected until they reach adulthood. He thanked IIUI’s shariah academy to hold an international conference on the topic after holding a successful workshop on the same topic.
On the first day, in conference sessions paper presenters discussed the topics on themes rights of children within the family and rights of juvenile in Islamic criminal law. The three day event will conclude in august 17.