Work On Integration Of Contemporary, Religious Studies In Madaris Programme Started To Promote Harmony

The government has initiated work on a comprehensive programme of integration of contemporary and religious studies in Madaris to promote tolerance and harmony

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2019 ) :The government has initiated work on a comprehensive programme of integration of contemporary and religious studies in Madaris to promote tolerance and harmony.

The work has been started in consultation with Ministry of education and Itihad Tanzimat Madaris Pakistan. The matter is included in recommendation of National Ulema and Mashaikh Council (NUMC).

The government is very keen and focused regarding promotion of sectarian harmony in the country and due attention is being given to each school of thought, sources at Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Division said on Friday.

Listing measures being adopted by the government for creating harmony amongst different schools of thought, the sources said introduction of social sciences and contemporary subjects in curriculum of madaris have also been recommended to National Ulema and Mashaikh Council as countering measure to dilute concentration of extremism and sectarian prejudices from Madaris.

National Ulema and Mashaikh Council, constituted for the purpose, has representation from all Wifaqs, all schools of thought and all the provinces and it has been assigned duty to promote religious harmony and to remove hate literature from the curriculum of Madaris.

The sources said three Committees have been established under this Council including Steering Committee, Curriculum Committee and Core Committee.

Moreover, the Council has also proposed that Ulema Boards may be established at National and Provincial levels to monitor hate literature and speech and to recommend legal action against such material.

The Curriculum Committee constituted under National Ulema and Mashaikh Council looks into matters related to curriculum of madaris and submits its suggestions to the Ministry for consideration and onward submission to concerned quarters.

Before commencement of Holy month of Muharram each year, the Ministry holds a meeting with Ulema and Khutaba of all schools of thought and requests them to promote sectarian harmony during the Holy month.

Instructions have already been issued to provincial governments alongwith recommendations of the meeting for holding of similar meetings at provincial and district levels.

The other step included that Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony regularly arranges National/International Seerat at Conference on 12th Rabiul-Awwal every year wherein prominent Ulema, Mashaikh, Scholars and people from all walks of life participate. These conferences provide a forum to present their ideas and thoughts on Seerah and teachings of Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S). These Conferences also proved to be instrumental in elimination of hatred and prejudices amongst different classes of the society and creating harmony among all sects.

Another step is competitions of Seerat Books, Naat and Articles on life, teachings and Seerah of Muhammad (S.A.W.S) are organized in regional, national and international languages for men and women. Prizes are awarded to position holders. These competitions also prove to be a source of dissemination of teachings of the Holy Prophet, which contain teachings regarding tolerance and harmony.

Similarly, Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony held meetings with the Ulema of all Muslims sects in five big cities like (Karachi Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad) to persuade them to abide by a common code of conduct which also contains avoidance from hate speech and literature, which plays an pivotal role in creating harmony among different sects.

The sources said the Ministry had prepared a Calendar of Unified timings for Azan and Prayers which was provided to all mosques of Islamabad for implementation. This will also create sectarian harmony and tolerance among the public.

The sources said to avoid differences on the occasion of celebration of Islamic festivals and start of Islamic months, meetings of Central, Zonal and District Ruet-e-Hilal Committees were held regularly for sighting the moon on 29th of each lunar month.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets on four important occasions to sight the moon of Rabi-l Awwal, Ramazan, Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha, which are of great public importance. For rest of the year its members join meetings of Provincial/District Ruet-e-Hilal Committees at their respective places.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is assisted by Provincial Ruet-e-Hilal Committees and District Ruet-e-Hilal Committees each month.

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