Scholars at a seminar at Hafiz Hayat Campus on Thursday outlined a knowledge‑based response to atheism and Islamophobia, stressing logic, patience and moral conduct as the Muslim world’s strongest tools.
GUJRAT — With a view to addressing the growing intellectual and moral challenges confronting the Muslim world, the Department of Islamic Studies at the University of Gujrat organized a scholarly seminar at Hafiz Hayat Campus on Thursday. The event brought together distinguished academics who emphasized that contemporary issues such as atheism, Islamophobia and ideological confusion require responses rooted in knowledge, reason and exemplary character.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Syed Badiuddin Suharwardy, founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, described atheism as a rapidly expanding global concern. He noted that sensationalized narratives about Islam continue to circulate worldwide, often detached from truth. He stressed that the solution does not lie in confrontation but in presenting Islam’s universal and timeless truths through logic, patience and respectful dialogue. Blind imitation, he said, cannot address the challenges facing the Ummah.
Presiding over the seminar, Prof. Dr Zahid Yousaf, Dean Faculty of Arts, highlighted that embodying Islamic values in one’s actions is the most powerful form of guidance. He added that the Prophet’s model of compassion and communication remains the most effective method for representing Islam in the modern world.
Host of the event, Dr Syed Hamid Farooq Bukhari, Chairperson of the Department, emphasized that intellectual and ethical challenges must be met with a blend of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight. He described the service of faith and scholarship as a sacred responsibility, calling steadfastness against ideological threats a defining duty of a true believer.
Senior faculty member Yasir Hussain Jami, serving as moderator, underscored the importance of nurturing students’ moral and spiritual development.
The seminar concluded with a prayer for peace and the success of the Muslim Ummah, led by Dr Muhammad Haseeb.