KARACHI, Dec 28 :The caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed, Thursday, underscored need to impart awareness to youth to promote interfaith harmony in society.
\nHe was addressing a seminar titled \u201cReligious Minorities and Interfaith Harmony, Social Tolerance in Pakistan\u201d organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in collaboration with NED University of Engineering and Technology as part of efforts aimed at sensitizing youth in higher educational institutions.<\/p>\n
Religious scholars, academicians, and intellectuals addressed the seminar and stressed cultivating and nurturing virtuous values of tolerance, tranquillity, and respect for each others\u2019 beliefs.
\nThe federal minister Aneeq Ahmed said that love for religion was a part of life for every Muslim in the world and their hearts were filled with utmost love for Allah, His Rasool S.A.W, Quran and Islam which could not be vitiated.
\n\u201cOur hearts are the abode of Allah and there should be no space for impurities like envy, prejudice, hatred and violence,\u201d he remarked.
\nA person who loves and reveres the Quran should also comprehend and follow its message that emphasizes on dignity of a human life and declares the murder of an individual as the assassination of entire humanity and protecting a human life as saving humanity, he argued.<\/p>\n
All the Pakistanis irrespective of their religion and beliefs were guaranteed equal rights under the constitution, he said adding that the Pakistani nation was living with harmony in a culture embedded with values of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect.
\nEconomic turbulence, low literacy rate, poverty and other factors have been affecting the social fabric of the society and extremism has found a way to sneak in, he observed and said that strengthening the economy was among the core responsibilities of the state.
\nAneeq Ahmed recalled that after the occurrence of the unfortunate incident of Jaranwala the entire Muslim population of the surroundings reached for the help of the affected Christian community along with Ulema and state functionaries and even doors of Masajid were opened to provide shelter to the affected families.<\/p>\n
He further said that incidents like Jaranwala will not be tolerated as they were against the spirit of Islam and law was in place to deal with the perpetrators.
\nThe minister urged that in this era of disinformation, people must verify if they hear about any such happening that hurts their religious sentiments and act cautiously instead of taking the law in hand by resorting to vehement reaction and violence.
\nThe minister commended the role of society and Ulema for raising voices against intolerance in society and said that mass awareness events on interfaith harmony are being organized in universities as well as in Masajid and we need to arrange such events in places like churches.
\nThe sight of a vibrant and talented young generation reinforces our belief that the future of Pakistan is bright and glowing, Aneeq Ahmed said and urged the students to collect the pearls of wisdom and disseminate light of intellect in the society.
\nCardinal Joseph Coutts, Cardinal Pope of the Vatican at Archdiocese of Karachi, said that everyone has their own identity and every society must be inclusive and harmonious so that everyone can live in an environment of peaceful coexistence. He also prayed that this harmony prevail always in Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Notable religious scholar and Muhtamim Darul Uloom Naeemia Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman stated that there was no concept of forced conversion of religion in Islam rather it was an unacceptable act.
\nInvestigation and inquiry must be made in the reported cases of forced conversions, he said and assured his assistance in any case of repression or forced conversion.
\nMufti Muneeb ur Rehman said that it was our principled demand that the religious sanctity of our religion must not be violated and no one should be allowed to take the law in hands.
\nRenowned scholar and former member Council of Islamic Ideology Dr. Mohsin Naqvi, said that injustice and foul playing create intolerance in the society. Emotional aspects of religion should go hand in glove with the intellectual aspects, he added.
\nTaking part in the discussion Bishop of Karachi and Balochistan Diocese Bishop Fredrick John said that words influence our behavior so we must change certain terminologies to remove negativity from our minds.
\nPatron in chief of Pakistan Sikh Council, Sardar Ramesh Singh, Member Sindh Public Service Commission Advocate Kalpana Devi, and representative of Bahai community Khan Ahsa Imam said that Pakistan was a country where every religion had equal rights to perform rituals without fear and hindrance.
\nDr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi, in his presidential remarks, said that not a single religion or faith professes violence and extremism because love for humanity was the core objective of every religion.
\nHe said that Islam was the universal religion and a complete code of life and all its followers need to comprehend the teachings of Islam, the most tolerant religion in the world.
\nLater, the federal minister was presented with a souvenir by VC NED University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI, Dec 28 :The caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed, Thursday, underscored need to impart awareness to youth to promote interfaith harmony in society. He was addressing a seminar titled \u201cReligious Minorities and Interfaith Harmony, Social Tolerance in Pakistan\u201d organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in collaboration with NED […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-377284","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n