Zero-tolerance In Religious Affairs Causes Extremism: Speakers At A Seminar Held At Islamia University Bahawalpur

Speakers at a seminar emphasized the need to promote tolerance culture in matters, especially pertaining to religion as saying zero-tolerance in religious affairs without any discrimination

BAHAWALPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Feb, 2018 ) :Speakers at a seminar emphasized the need to promote tolerance culture in matters, especially pertaining to religion as saying zero-tolerance in religious affairs without any discrimination.

They said this while speaking at a seminar held in connection with Narrative of Pakistan programme launched by the government of Pakistan from Presidency of Islamabad. The seminar held at Islamia University Bahawalpur here on Monday was jointly organized by Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, Higher education Commission and the varsity.

Delivering his lecture, representative of the Federal government about the program, renowned Islamic research, Dr. Kashif Mahmood said that when a person in religious affairs considered himself absolutely perfect and considered others wrong and labeled others with "Fatwa of Kufr" then such attitude led to extremism.

"Extremism reports in a society where some people consider people of other religious school of thought wrong and even issue "Fatwa of Kufr" (infidel) against them," he said. He said that difference of opinion was beauty of a society adding that but zero-tolerance for other's opinion used to lead to extremism in the society.

"Islamic Sharia always emphasizes the need to promote peace and culture of self-respect for others and it never allow extremism in religious affairs," he said. He said that the government organized a program at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad on 26th of May last year where stakeholders from all five schools of thought were assembled and they agreed that "Fatwa of Kufr" (Declaring others infidel) would not be issued against any one.

He said that consultative meetings with 2,000 religious scholars were also held in connection with the program "Message of Pakistan". He said that religious stakeholders from all non-Muslim schools of thoughts were gathered at Faisal Mosque on 18th October last year where they were given feelings that they were equal to other Pakistanis.

"On 16th January 2018, Narrative of Pakistan or Message of Pakistan program was launched at Presidency Islamabad that was attended by leaders from all religious schools of thought, 70 ambassadors, over 100 MNAs, 50 Senators and 60 Vice Chancellors of the universities," he said.

He said that in the history of Pakistan, first time, female religious scholars gathered on 1st February 2018 who were also urged to play their due role for religious harmony and culture of tolerance.

Speaking on the occasion, Director, Religious Affairs, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony, Hafiz Dr, Mushahid Hussain Khalid Bukhari said that it was need of hour to promote inter-faith harmony.

"White colour in our national flag represents minorities and it is our responsibility to provide security to their life and property," he said. He said that we all would have to play our significant role in controlling extremism.

"All schools of thought including Deobandi, Brelvi, Naqshbandia, Chishtia and others will have to focus on their personal religious principles instead considering others as wrong," he said. Dean, Faculty of Islamic Learning, IUB, Prof-Dr.

Razia Musarrat said that we would have to convince rest of the world that people of Pakistan hatred extremism and terrorism. "The US and European countries have misunderstandings about us and we will have to prove that we love peace and harmony," she said.

Chairman, Discipline of Islamic Learning, IUB, Prof-Dr. Hafiz Iftikhar Ahmed said that there false and baseless propaganda was made against educational institutions of Pakistan. "No single terrorist was found in educational institutions," he said.

"Recently, a student sprayed volley of bullets at other students of his school in US and killed 17 of them," he said, adding that but the world knew that the killer was not Muslim. He said that then princely state of Bahawalpur was founded 220 years before creation of Pakistan.

"Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah himself said that the state of Bahawalpur provided financial aid for release of salaries to government employees of newly formed country of Pakistan for a period of six months.

He demanded of the government to pay special attention towards educational institutions of Bahawalpur. "Financial resources should also be allocated for Bahawalpur like that earmarked for mega projects in other parts of the country," he said.

Prof-Dr. Zia-ur-Rehman appreciated Pakistan Armed Forces for playing its special role in restoration of peace. "Operations launched the Pakistan Army resulted in restoration of peace and order in volatile areas of the country," he said. The seminar was attended by academicians and a large number of students.