President Azad Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while terming Islam as a religion of peace, has said that amidst the fast changing global scenario there was a dire need to present a true picture of Islam to the world.
While addressing the International Interfaith Peace Conference here on Sunday, the president said, “Being Muslims, we pray for peace five times a day, but real peace on the Earth can be established only when people of different faiths and religions practice tolerance, mutual respect and co-existence as the code of life”.
Referring to the growing intolerance and xenophobia and Islamophobia in the world, the president said that we all have to play our role to promote a true picture of Islam to the world and remove the misunderstandings and prejudices related to it.
Islam, he said, considers all humanity as one family and believes in equality, justice and peace. He said that the youth should be engaged in promoting inter-faith harmony and ensuring the rights of minorities.
The president said that followers of all religions should join their hands and work together to get rid of the world from the scourge of terrorism and violence.
The president while condemning the incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark said that such kinds of vicious incidents pose a grave threat to world peace.
He said that the time has come that this issue must be raised effectively at the international level. He said that the UNO and OIC should formulate laws that guarantee the protection of all sacred books and religious scriptures.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry further said that Pakistan was also facing the challenges of extremism, terrorism and law and order. The promotion of inter-religious harmony, he said, was the dire need of the moment to ensure peace and stability in the country. Underlining the role of the media in promoting inter-religious and Interfaith harmony, Barrister Chaudhry said that along with social media, the print and electronic media can play a vital role in promoting religious tolerance and religious harmony in the country.
Referring to the deteriorating political and human rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir, the president regrettably noted that India was committing serious violations of basic human rights in the held territory.
He said that the inter-faith forum must play its due role to help stop the ongoing atrocities in occupied Kashmir and raise its voice for the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
The conference was also attended and addressed by the chairman Central Royat Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, chairman inspection commission and member of the Legislative Assembly, Mufti Pir Mazhar Saeed Shah, member of Punjab Assembly Dhian Singh, Mufti Kafayat Hussain Naqvi, Dr. Leif Athlin, Jonathan Sparks, Dr. Markus Fida and others