By Imtiaz Hussain Abro
Aneeq for spreading message of harmony.
The Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed, emphasized the imperative of disseminating the message of harmony and peaceful coexistence, especially among the youth. He addressed a seminar titled “Bridging Beliefs: Interfaith Harmony in Pakistan,” which was organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in collaboration with Dawood University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) Karachi. During his address on Friday, the minister highlighted that the younger generation represents the future and serves as the carrier of Islam’s message of moral excellence, hoping that they would propagate it globally to realize the vision of establishing an inclusive and holistic society.
The minister pointed out that all religions share a divine message inherent in their ideologies, interconnected through the Creator’s guidance from Adam AS to Muhammad SAW, who proclaimed the completion of the ‘Deen.’ Islam accords a dignified status to human beings, designating them as the ‘Naib of Allah’ on Earth, and the Quran asserts that every human is a member of Allah’s family.
Bishop Fredrick John, the Bishop of Karachi and Balochistan, emphasized living our lives in accordance with religious ideologies in both letter and spirit, promoting development, encouragement, and mutual acceptance and respect. Dr. Mufti Irshad Ahmed Ijaz, Head of the Sharia Department at the State Bank of Pakistan, discussed the coexistence of all religions throughout history. Sardar Ramesh Singh, Patron in Chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council, commended the Ministry of Religious Affairs for organizing seminars and conferences on Interfaith Harmony, emphasizing that every religion advocates love and brotherhood while denouncing aggression and violence.
Dr. Mohsin Naqvi, former member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, expressed the view that conflicts between religions are, in fact, conflicts among believers pursuing material gains. Dr. Jai Pal Chhabria, former member of the National Commission for Minorities, highlighted the crucial role played by minority communities in the creation of Pakistan, attributing the foundation of interfaith harmony in the country to Quaid-e-Azam’s August 11, 1947 speech. All the speakers proposed fundamental changes in the educational curriculum, advocating the inclusion of content on Interfaith Harmony, knowledge of different faiths, and the history and heritage of the region.
