GUJRAT - A top scholar has stressed the need for promotion of key social values of respect, acceptance and tolerance to make Pakistan a bastion of peace.
“Our complaisant and felicitous attitude is what constitutes a peaceful and prosperous society,” Chairman Islamic Ideology Council Dr Qibla Ayyaz told the participants of a seminar marking the World Tolerance Day here at Hafiz Hayat Campus of the University of Gujrat (UoG) the other day.
The seminar, organised by UoG Islamic Studies Department, was presided over by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum, with Dr Qibla Ayyaz as chief guest and renowned columnist and anchorperson Khurshid Ahmad Nadeem as guest of honour.
Chairperson Islamic Studies department Dr Arshad Munir Leghari was in the host’s chair while Director Media Sheikh Abdul Rashid moderated the proceedings. Dr Qibla Ayyaz called for setting up student councils at Pakistani universities for the promotion of values of peace and toleration in the face of terrorism and violence.
Khurshid Ahmad Nadeem said: “Tolerance and respect are the key ingredients of success.” Elaborating, he said the journey of life would have been dull and drudgery in a world without diversity. “As human beings we need to accept and admire rather than abhor this diversity which is manifest in myriad forms we know as tradition, culture and beliefs and thoughts,” Khurshid Ahmad said.
Dr Zia said he believed intolerance was caused by social injustice and economic imbalance. He called upon the Islamic Ideology Council to set up a common platform for the masses to make use of the benefit of varsities’ research on identifying the causes as well as eradication of various social evils.
Dr Arshad Munir Leghari said peace and prosperity of a nation hinges on tolerant and felicitous attitudes of its people.
Sheikh Abdul Rashid underlined the key role of faculty and students for the establishment of a booming, prosperous society based on the principles of equality, justice and respect.