"Rift Between East, West Unnatural"
Speakers at a one-day international seminar on "Resonance of the East & West" called for a dialogue between the east and west without adopting defensive policy. Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Rumi Forum had, Saturday, organized the seminar where scholars and professors from different organizations and universities across the country presented their papers and delivered lectures.
Chairman Islamic Ideology Council Khalid Masood opined that the division between the East and West was unnatural and negative and started in the colonial period. He said in the medieval period there had been greater interaction between the East and the West than that of today.
Prof Dr Muhammad Akram Rana from Bahauddin Zakriya University delivered his lecture on "Spiritual Role of Maulana Rumi". He said Rumi showed love, respect and affection to women, children and men and regarded all religious sects and nations as waves of the ocean of unity.
"Those who read the 'Musnawi' (Rumi's masterpiece of Persian poetry) or listen to it will receive spiritual joy and holy signs from the deeply meaningful truths found in the book in accordance with their own abilities and capacities. When they read this blessed book, they will be touched by it and obtained holy light from this book's light. They will be saved from spiritual illness, bad behaviour and un-Islamic beliefs," the professor believed.
He said, "People are both good and bad and Rumi doesn't see people from one perspective. He considers them from all sides for seeking ways of salvation for humankind. He strives to cleanse them from their flaws and make them true human beings".
Murat Yilmaz presented a lecture on the life of Muhammad Fethullah Gülen, the most serious and significant thinker of the contemporary Muslim world who has written 46 books, which have been translated into many languages.
Gülen traveled around the province in Anatolia and lectured not only in mosques but also in towns in public meetings. He talked about education, science, Darwinism, economy and social justice. He was the first one to release a press declaration renouncing the September 11 terrorist attacks on World Trade Centre. Gülen clarified a terrorist could not be Muslim and a Muslim could not be a terrorist.
Dr Naeem Mushtaq, Human Resource Manager at Islamabad Club, while quoting many books of foreign authors including "The Israel Lobby & US Foreign Policy", "The Mighty and The Almighty" and "Advocate of Dialogue", said war on terror was not a political war but a religious war. The west use political terminologies to confuse people but in real terms it's a religious war against Islam.
Dr Mumtaz Salik from Punjab University, Dr Qalbi Abid, Mohyddin Hashmi, Dr Zia ul Haq, Dr Abdulhanit Birisik, Saut Erguvan, Dr Akram Rana, Dr Muhammad Baqir Khan Khakwani and Muhammad Khalifa Hassan were also amongst them who delivered lectures.(Asma Ghani, Islamabad)
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