ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Friday held an International seminar in Islamabad on promotion of Islamic norms and ethics for resolving differences and forging unity for the collective well-being.
The seminar was addressed by renowned Muslim scholars Prof Dr Muhammad Yasin Mazhar Siddiqui and Dr Ubaid Ullah Fahad Falhi from India, Prof Dr Fatehur Rehman Qureshi, Sudan, Dr Abdul Hameed, Aljazair and Dr Muhammad Hafiz from United Kingdom.
It was arranged by the University’s department of Arabic and Islamic studies. The participants of the seminar included research scholars and students of PhD from various parts of the country.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui who presided over the event said that the AIOU fulfills its social responsibility of educating its students about the basic requirements of living a peaceful and harmonious life while seeking aspirations from the Holy Quran and Seerat-un-Nabi.
The educational institutions, he added are supposed to motivate their students to shun extremist tendency. They should prepare them to respect the view-point of others, while adhering to their own belief.
He said the diversity of views is the beauty of a society, if it is taken in a positive and healthy way. Disagreement on any issue should be settled in agreeable manner, he added.
Dr Siddiqui said the AIOU has been developed as a hub of social, literary and cultural activities in order to address the basic issues of the society.
By holding the conference, they tried to project the Islamic norms of settling disputes and differences through peaceful means.
“We believe that extremism and tendency of enforcing one’s own opinion by force is harmful for society. The AIOU is engaged in promoting positive learning practices to serve the society. Research culture is being promoted in the country to address the socio-economic issues of the country, he added.
Dr Muhammad Yasin in his key-note address spoke in detail about the Islamic teachings for resolving differences in social, religious and political life. He quoted various sayings of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and those of Khu-e-Rashideen that teach them how to avoid conflict and unrest in the society.
He said the difference of opinion should not be turned into confrontation or hostility. In a Muslim and civilized society, the diversity of views should be taken in a good spirit, and collective judgment or majority decisions should be allowed to prevail.
Emergence of difference in individual and collective life is something natural and it has been happening so since the very beginning. Spirit of accommodation and compromise must be upheld in settling disputes and disagreements in day-to-day life, he said.
He cited ‘Saleh-e-Hudaibiya’ that is the best example of entering into agreement even with enemies in a particular situation and for a better purpose.
The inaugural session was also addressed by the Dean Arabic and Islamic Studies Prof Dr Shah Mohyuddin Hashmi and Prof Dr Ali Asghar Chishti.
