LAHORE: The national conference on “Future of Interfaith Relations” urged on Tuesday over the need to adopt a rights-based approach to improve relations between different religions in Pakistan.
The conference was organised by the Centre for Social Justice and was attended by civil society organisations, human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, and political representatives and religious leaders.
Dr Qais Aslam, Bushra Anjum Butt, Dr Sara Rizvi Jafree, Dr Syeda Mehnaz Hassan, Dr Raana Malik, Dr Yaqoob Khan Banagsh, Peter Jacob, Bishop Azad Marshall and Fr James Channan joined as speakers and gave their input on interfaith relations.
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Dr Qais Aslam, a distinguished professor and economist, described the religious, ethnic and cultural diversities of Pakistan.
“Pakistan is home to multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities, where the Constitution of Pakistan recognises rights to equal opportunities for everyone,” said Dr Aslam.
PML-N MPA Bushra Anjum Butt emphasised that there was a need to work towards a more tolerant society.
Sociologist Dr Sara Rizvi Jafree evaluated the social and economic status of religious minorities in Pakistan. She believes that there is a complex linear relationship between the low socio-economic status of religious minorities in Pakistan and high levels of religious intolerance.
“Addressing and improving tolerance through interfaith harmony is the first step forward to improving the status of religious minorities in the country,” she said.
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Researcher Dr Syeda Mehnaz Hassan stressed the need for the integration of every religion in the policy-making process.
Advocate Saroop Ijaz said that “equality of citizenship” is a precondition for any modern democracy. He added that the future of interfaith relations rests on acknowledging and ensuring equality.
Peace activist Fr James Channan, while describing the significance of interfaith dialogues, said: “Interfaith dialogue is of grave importance in the world and Pakistan. Such an encounter among the people of different religions are a must to overcome the tensions and divisions.”
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Bishop Azad Marshall stressed that Pakistan needs to learn from the successes achieved by Jamia Al-Azhar, Egypt and Friendship Centre under Abraham Accord in UAE.
Dr Yaqoob Khan Bangash emphasised the equality of rights and opportunities among citizens, which he said had had an equalizing and stabilizing effect on society.
