ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: Unesco and Norway on Thursday signed an agreement to conserve the 15th century Lahore Fort with a foreign assistance of seven million Norwegian Krone ($890,000).

The agreement was signed by Ms Ingeborg Breines, director, Unesco, Islamabad, and Norwegian ambassador to Pakistan, Mr Tore Toreng, here at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Youth Affairs.

“This is the first of a series of assistance and we are looking forward to initiate efforts for similar ventures,” Ms Breines told reporters after the signing agreement.

A memorandum of understanding has already been signed between Unesco and the culture ministry under which both parties will make concerted efforts towards safeguarding this site of universal significance and enhancing awareness about its unique character, historical significance and world heritage value.

Tariq Janjua, the secretary culture, explained that the first phase of the project would focus on developing a master plan for the Lahore Fort and taking immediate measures for the conservation of Shish Mahal which was in a dilapidated condition.

“The master plan will focus on prioritised conversation work, the management mechanism, the legal and regulatory framework and identification of funding sources, as these core issues are imperative to achieve sustainability, he said.

Built by Emperor Akbar in 1560s, the Lahore Fort is a culmination of many buildings built over a period of time. The entrance to the fort is through Alamgiri gate built in 1618 by Jahangir while the famous Shish Mahal (the mirror palace) is situated in the northwest corner of the fort.

Both Lahore Fort and the Shalamar Gardens have placed by Unesco in the list of “World Heritage Sites in Danger,” following the irrevocable damage to 357 years old hydraulic system of the Shalamar Gardens and the potential threat to the roof of the Shish Mahal.

Ms Breines said a team of experts, during its visit to Pakistan, had suggested inclusion of 12 sites in the world heritage list.

After the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha sculptures, a lot of attention had been was being paid to save the world heritage, she said.

The Norwegian ambassador said that culture was a part of bilateral cooperation and the Norwegian government was carrying out similar projects like it helped in restoring Ganish village in Karimabad (Northern Areas). Since the Lahore Fort was the most tourist attraction place, its maintenance was on our high priority, he said.

Ms Breines said that the scheme was a one year conversation project in which efforts would be made to save the roof of the Shish Mahal. However, there was every possibility that the project might take more time since a team of experts both local as well as international had to be developed.

Tariq Janjua added that preserving the roof of the Shish Mahal was a very delicate and technical job.

THE first revelation that came to the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and formed the starting point of his mission consisted of first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq (96: 1-5). The basic problem projected in those verses is that of faith and reason.

Had it not been faith in an all powerful and transcendental being and the belief that behind all visible things there is an invisible force, and for the fact that for every effect there is an unseen cause, man’s mind might have not found direction to solve problems and would have ceased to think. It was faith that put man’s mind into action and urged it to solve the mysteries of universe. It is also faith which has pushed man to discover the causes after the effect and unknown after known. As a consequence sciences and intellect had developed.

A notable and important point is that in the light of the holy Quran faith and knowledge are compatible with each other. Indeed the two are complementary as this verse clearly establishes: “And those who are of sound instruction say; ‘We believe therein; the whole of it from our Lord’; and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.” (3:7)

There are some more and similar verses throughout the Quran that are clear pointer to the nature of relationship between Faith and knowledge. For example in Surah Al-Anam “Behold; in these things. There are signs for people who believe.” (6:99). In Surah Al-Yunus: “... But revelation and warnings avail not folk who believe not.” (10:101)

These verses abundantly make clear that without faith in Allah the signs of Allah cannot be understood. And since knowledge according to the Quran consists of understanding the signs of Allah then the proposition can be worded thus: Faith is necessary condition for knowledge in Islam. Faith leads to knowledge and knowledge in turn enhances faith.

It is a fact that the history of the ancient world is that of religions which in turn are the material image of faith after being converted to movements, sayings and suggestions. It is to be recognised that religion is the effective motive in the life of man and that the world in its long history was moved by religions which played the basic role in moving the history and setting the tempo for the march of all humanity. An indepth civilization and people’s science prove a close relation between faith and civilization and that it is from the faith that all forces and human activities spring, aspiring to achieve advancement and evolution.

Faith locates and places us in the world in a specific way. It determines our being in the world. Hence faith shapes our way of thinking but cannot be reduced to thinking; it forms our ways of feeling but cannot itself be reduced to feelings; it moulds our belief but cannot be reduced to them.

The stronger is man’s faith, the more he can attain. With faith man excels others of lesser conviction. This is confirmed by the fact that certain people had succeeded in influencing other people and winning admiration because of their uncompromising belief that made truth clear to them. The firmness of their faith influenced humanity deeply and immensely.

It is faith alone, that transforms the inferior to superior, poor to rich, the ignorant to learned and weak to strong. Faith is the password which allows man to discover the secrets of the universe. It is by faith that man finds the truth and righteousness. Vision of faith along with reason leads to the deepening of conviction (35:28).

The diction of some people say that force in this universe is matter — visible and tactile which is contrary to the consensus of opinion of people and to the preachings of prophets and Divine messages that there is an omnipotent and eternal God, who had created the whole universe by His own will. It was these diffidents who gave the true believers a golden opportunity which allowed them to put their faith to test, to correct and to add to their conviction.

Every idea which contends with any religious theory and its concepts should be studied and verified by reason since faith without reason leads human beings to superstition. Reason without faith deprives humanity of highest values. Faith and Reason go together to function in unity. It should not be met with bigotry and left undiscussed. This is exactly what the Quran had done. According to the Holy Quran, faith and reason are complementary and should therefore be reconciled (96:1).

In order that a sound heart is built up which is the demand of the religion (26:89) the Quran mentions all the objections. It reports all these questions in detail but refutes them by arguments. While introducing faith and establishing it firmly, the Quran proved that only through reasoning would the real faith be propagated. Without mind’s satisfaction there would be no rationality. an example is the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) praying to his Lord: “My Lord; show me how thou givest life to the dead. He said: Dost thou not believe? Abraham said: Yea; but in order that my heart may be at ease...” (2:260)

Another example is that of leaders of the Quresh who transformed themselves from arch-enemy of Islam to its great supporters and foremost leaders. Later with their belief and religious guidance they dominated the whole world. Had it not been faith and conviction, they could not have attained such strength and maturity.

No cultured man can have a real faith unless he comprehends all rational arguments which provide strength to his belief. Without conviction and true faith man cannot imitate others or comply with inherited traditions or without understanding the genuine evidences. Faith is not an end in itself but only a means to the development of personality.

It is a sad commentary that the majority of Muslims perform worship only because it had been performed by their forefathers, without understanding the real faith. They are Muslims merely because they were born to Muslim parents and raised in a Muslim community.

They are governed by traditions and thus obliged to act accordingly. To them, the Quran refers: “The wandering Arabs say: ‘We believe. Say ‘Ye believe not; but rather say “We have submitted our wills to God” for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts.” (49:14)

According to the holy book, a true Muslim is he who has absolute faith in God, His Prophets and the last day and cultivates true devotion to him (4:162). This faith and devotion lends a strength to his will, a balance to his emotions and a grace to his personality which never fail him in life because God’s help and protection is always available to him.