Our correspondent;
MUZAFFARABAD: Muslim youths, academia and researchers must develop the skills of critical thinking along with promotion of Islam’s concept of humanity and kindness exemplified by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to discourage violence and selective presentation of Islam.
These views were expressed by Pakistan’s former High Commissioner to United Kingdom and the current Ibn Khaldun Chair at the Washington DC-based American University, Professor Akbar Ahmed while delivering a lecture on the topic of “Clash of civilization & Muslims in the West” at Muzaffarabad campus of University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Describing Islam as religion of balance and compassion, Professor Ahmed emphasized that concept of justice and balance in human society is imperative to avoid confrontation with other nations and faiths.
Tracing the recent history of distrust between Muslims and the West, he said that after the end of cold war followed by event of September 11 in particular and bombing of 2004 and 2005 in some European cities, western world had started to look upon Muslims with suspicion and mistrust.
“We are living in a world, which is interconnected and you have to be involved in the events happening around the world. You cannot be sitting in isolation and say we have nothing to do with what’s happening around the world,” Professor Ahmed emphasized.
He went to say that we are Kashmiri, Punjabi, Sindhi, Shia and Sunni at home but in the wider world especially after September 11, we have only one identity of Muslim that has been thrust upon us.
Saying that both Western and Muslim worlds should understand each other and address issues of mutual concern through dialogues, Professor Ahmed particularly urged Muslims to rediscover their lost ideals of compassion, courtesy and knowledge that remained an important characteristic of Muslim traditions for long period of time.
Dispelling the impression that all Muslims poorly treat women, minorities and people who have faith different from that of Muslims, he said that in most cases religion of Islam is targeted by western media for cultural practices- not condone by the Islam.
He however emphasized that Muslim society particularly minorities in Pakistan should be treated in compassionate and fair manner and in line with the true teachings of Islam. “No one has the right to bully or annoy anyone else for their religious beliefs, rituals or creed,” he stressed.
Professor Akbar Ahmed also briefly shed light on the relation between center and peripheral societies, like tribal areas and the involvement of the United States that has fueled the war on terror. He said that center needs to incorporate the periphery in mainstream instead of treating them with suspicion and disrespect to their cultural values.
Brushing aside widespread belief, especially among the right-wing politicians in Europe, that Islam is unable to coexist with Western civilization and the Muslims contributed nothing to European civilization, Dr Ahmed said it was (Andalusian Muslim) Ibn Firnas, who attempted to fly even before the Wright Brothers and their first ever airplane.
The religious philosophers like Maimonides and Ibn Rushd, who sought to balance reason and faith that led to European Renaissance and enlightenment is great contribution of Muslims and Islam in Europe, he added.
Describing Kashmir as land of poets, scholars and Sufi saints, he urged the audience to revive the glory of the past by keeping the flag of knowledge and scholarship fly high.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Dr Muhammad Kalim Abbasi expressed his profound gratitude to the eminent scholar for delivering an iconic lecture on imperative subject of clash of civilization and role of Muslims in the west.
He said that management, faculty and the students of the university are grateful to Dr Ahmed for coming over to the university and enlightening them about the challenges being faced by Muslim world in general and Muslims living in America and Europe in particular.
The Vice Chancellor said that university always gave due importance to global issues particularly those directly linked to Muslims and Muslim world. The Vice Chancellor also presented a souvenir to the distinguished guest on the occasion. Later Professor Akbar Ahmed interacted with the students, members of faculty and media and answered various questions posed by them on contemporary issues.
Prominent social luminary of the town and central leader of Pakistan Tahreek e Insaf Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, prominent scholar Attiq- ur- Rehman Abbasi, former Secretary to government Akram Sohail and others also spoke on the occasion.