Need for interfaith dialogue stressed

LAHORE - Regional Coordinator of United Religion Initiative (URI) Asia/Pakistan Rev James Channan has emphasised the need for promoting interfaith dialogue, saying that every society was a product of strong interaction between different cultures and faiths. He said that it was an admitted fact that all the religions of the world preach tolerance, peace and equality. He expressed these views while speaking at the Aiwan-e-Waqt Forum here on Thursday. Channan said that the world today was confronted with enormous challenges of poverty, illiteracy, deprivation and hunger, and Pakistan was yet to overcome these problems. He said that the country was badly hit by extremism and terrorism, which might cause serious damage to the society. It is a matter of satisfaction that the incumbent government had been taking effective steps to overcome these menaces, he added. He said that it was good to see political and religious parties, different social organisations now promoting interfaith harmony and dialogue in order to promote peace in the country. Giving example, he said, goodwill messages to Christian community on Christmas by Tehrik-e-Minhajul Quran, Jamaat-e-Islami and such other parties was a positive practice to bring harmony in the society. He expressed his satisfaction over the way the government had been dealing with the affairs of the religious minorities. Channan said that the minorities should also contribute to government efforts to bring peace in the country, adding that to understand each others point of view and by giving rights to deprived faction of the society, the country could be made a land of peace. He condemned the shameful act of Danish journalist besides fulminating those elements involved in nefarious activities which tried to sow hate among different faiths by their wrong acts. He further said that a Christian who believes in the Bible would never bring disrespect to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and the people who practiced wrong things actually worked on political agendas. He justified the use of force by the Pakistan Army against terrorists but on the other hand also spoke for a real battle against extremist mindset. He added that American bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan could not be justified at all. He said he at the recent Madrid Interfaith dialogue co-hosted by Pakistan, described the governments sincere efforts in line to strengthen interfaith dialogues and to bring peace in country. Decision welcomed The PML-Q (Like-Minded) on Thursday celebrated the Supreme Court decision against LNG contract and illegal promotion cases of some Grade-22 officers. Provincial Information Secretary of the Party Mian Asif and others called the court verdict a landmark against corruption and a milestone to put the system on track. Talking to reporters on the occasion, Mian Asif said that independent judiciary was unveiling corruption of the rulers. He said if the government would promote favourite officers, they would only serve the rulers and not the masses. In his view, no government wanted independent judiciary as it exposed its corruption and malpractices. He demanded strict disciplinary action not only against those officers involved in LNG contract but also against former Petroleum Advisor Dr Asim.