Daily Times

The first two-day international conference on interfaith harmony has started at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur.

In his presidential address in the opening session, Senior Dean Faculty of Chemical and Biological Sciences Prof. Dr. Shazia Anjum said that the main theme of this year is the role of religious harmony in global sustainability.

At this conference, from many countries including Pakistan, Brunei Darussalam, USA, Uganda, Belgium and Malaysia eminent scholars like Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akram, Prof. Dr. Tne Wickman, Prof. Dr. Charles Cohen, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mumtaz Ali, Prof. Dr. Herman, Prof. Dr. Christopher Miller, Prof. Dr. Kulsoom Pracha, Pandit Marari Lal Badhanal, Reverend Munawar Shahzad Umar, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Muhammad Rizq, Prof. Dr. Ghulam Shamsur Rahman, Prof. Dr. Arshad Munir Laghari, Prof. Dr. Altaf Hussain Langriyal, Chairman Department of Islamic Studies, Bahauddin Zakaria University Multan, Prof. Dr. Abdul Qadoos Suhaib, Chairman Islamic Research Center, Bahauddin Zakaria University Multan, Prof. Dr. Zia ur Rahman, Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar, Dr. Abu-ul-Hasan Shabbir Ahmed, Dr. Muhammad Imran, Dr. Ayesha Qurarat-ul-Ain and Dr. Riaz Ahmed Saeed, Prof. Dr. Saeed Ahmed participated.

She said that the purpose of establishing educational institutions is not only to equip students with education but to solve social problems is also an important manifesto of educational institutions. In this way, the creation of modern knowledge becomes possible or the ways are developed for it.

Being a history-making institution, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur is the guardian of such binding traditions. Along with the training of students, successful efforts have been made to solve social problems.

On this occasion, along with students and teachers, along with the most reliable Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh scholars and professors of universities and colleges of Pakistan. The participation of influential people in the area is also expected.

The conference aims to review the role of religion in peace-building, inter-faith harmony, and sustainable development. In this way, solutions to the problems faced by the minorities and majorities in Pakistan, the promotion of peace, and the study of religions will be paved.

The conference is going to provide a platform for researchers and students from all over the world to present their research on interfaith harmony and tolerance to experts.

Since efforts for inter-faith harmony and peace have not been made in such a systematic manner in the history of Bahawalpur, it is said that this conference will be a historic one for South Punjab. In the inaugural session, Registrar Muhammad Shaji ur Rahman, Prof. Dr. Shahzad Rana, Chairman of the Department of Media and Communication Studies, Shahzad Ahmed Khalid, Director of Public Relations, senior faculty members, employees, and students were present. Prof. Dr. Sheikh Shafiq ur Rahman, Dean Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies, while appreciating the efforts of the Department of Religious Studies, gave a message that undoubtedly, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur has always done more than its share for the promotion of social values and peace.

The participation of scholars, the gathering of people of different religions, and the participation of international scholars in this conference show their confidence in the university, while this process speaks of their sincere efforts to establish peace in society.

The guest of honor, Dr. Tanveer Qasim, Director of Coordination, at the Punjab Higher Education Commission, said that Islam means peace.

The Holy Quran encourages the development of peaceful relations with people of other religions and forbids coercion. The Department of Religions and Interfaith Harmony has organized this conference on a critical topic, the practical effects of which will be seen in society. The recent conference is an important need of the society.

Such initiatives should be done not only in universities but also in colleges and schools. The focal person of the conference, Dr. Sajeela Kausar, said that in the two-day conference, the strategies of inter-faith harmony and global integration, inter-faith harmony and world peace, promotion of mutual understanding among religious communities, comprehensive approach to religious harmony, environmental responsibility and religion for economic stability, interfaith dialogue, the role of youth and sustainable cooperation, based on religious teachings for justice and well-being.

Initiatives and challenges, controversies, and the role of media will be discussed. She thanked Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Naveed Akhtar and Dean Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies Prof. Dr. Sheikh Shafiq ur Rehman for organizing and sponsoring the conference.