Peace, harmony and coexistence: National and religious obligations

It is not so much the religious conflict as a matter of social behaviours that fuels intolerance and extremism in Pakistani society. Poor academic and intellectual responses, absence of dialogue and interaction among different sections of society, the use of religion as a political tool by Pakistani state, presence of extremist groups and ideologies in … Read more

Interfaith harmony in Pakistan: Perspectives, challenges and opportunities

Diversity is the Will of God and we should accept that. All religions preach similar truths and virtues, which along with shared cultural and social values can be built upon to enhance interfaith harmony in Pakistan. Interfaith dialogue and harmony are possible only on the basis of equality, respect and acceptance. We should revisit the … Read more

Education emergency in Pakistan and responsibility of religious scholars

Education is a fundamental right of every Pakistani citizen. Also, it is a religious obligation of every Muslim. All political parties should prioritize education and should work out and implement with consensus a comprehensive, effective and long-term work plan for improving the state of education in Pakistan. These views were expressed by Pakistan’s leading religious … Read more

Fair reporting can challenge rights violations in Pakistan

Objective and analytic reporting can enhance awareness of human rights and significantly challenge pervasive impunity for perpetrators of violations in Pakistan, participants of a media training learned here. Journalists from all parts of Pakistan attended the two-day media training workshop, which was organised by Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) in the federal capital. The media training … Read more

Reporting and analyzing conflicts in Pakistan

The information explosion has lifted the role of journalists from traditional story tellers to analytical and investigative reporters who have the professional capacity and abilities to think critically and link the available information to its larger political, socioeconomic and other related dimensions. The participating young and mid-career journalists were told in a media training workshop … Read more

Media’s role in conflict: Unbiased, balanced and objective reporting

As dynamics of conflicts in Pakistan vary from region to region, journalists and media persons should try to understand the local contexts of conflicts in order to report and analyze them objectively as well as to ensure their own security in conflict-hit areas. The participant journalists and media experts observed in a journalists’ training workshop … Read more

PIPS engages madrassa students in its campaign for peace

Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) organized two-day activities in Islamabad on November 5-6 to bring madrassa students into interaction with other Pakistani youths educated form mainstream educational institutions, create awareness among madrassa students and teachers about modern political thought and systems, and encourage and award prizes to the position holder madrassa graduates. The activities … Read more

Accepting diversity is the key to resolve ideological ambiguities

Tolerating the values of diversity and pluralism can help resolve the prevailing socio-political and ideological ambiguities in Pakistan which not only create discord among people but also make it difficult to counter the perils of extremism and violence. Media and religious scholars have a key role in promoting these values in society. These views were … Read more

Poor education and rising extremism key challenges facing Muslim world

Lack of a culture of research and enquiry, indifference to modern education, and growing trends of sectarianism and religious extremism are the key challenges facing Muslim world today. This was acknowledged by Islamic scholars from Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Iran, Bangladesh and Malaysia in a international conference on “The Emerging Challenges and the Responses from … Read more

Religio-political discourse in Pakistan too narrow and dissonant to curb radicalization

Religious radicalism has many forms and manifestations and affects almost every segment of Pakistani society in one way or the other. Triggered by multiple factors, it gains strength mainly from the prevalent religious-political discourse in country that offers largely extreme positions to the people in the political, socio-cultural and ideological perspectives. The religious scholars have … Read more