12 March 2004	Friday	20 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, March 11: The men of letters and seats of learning in Muslim countries should come forward to help Ummah meet the present day challenges successfully.

This was stated by Prof Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi, a former federal minister for religious affairs and vice-president of the International Islamic University in his keynote address at the Seerat Seminar held here on Thursday under the auspices of the Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre on its premises in the University of Karachi.

The Vice-chancellor of the University, Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, presided over the seminar and the Centre's Director, Prof Khalil-ur-Rehman presented the welcome address.

Prof Ghazi said that the Ummah was facing a multi-dimensional challenge and that a great deal of efforts were required to meet it. In such a situation, what is required on the part of the Muslims is, besides unity, collaboration in all fields through scholarly means and reformation.

Regrading globalization, he said it was good if it ensured safeguards to the interests of all the human beings - weak or strong. It must be opposed if the idea behind it was to enable the strong powers to ensure their supremacy over the weaker ones.

He observed that apartheid, seemingly eliminated a few years back, was still there in 'undeclared form'. He indicated that the right to use veto power in the UN Security Council itself was against the spirit of equality.

Prof Ghazi stressed on practising human equality and justice in letter and spirit around the world. He proposed that all forces should agree on the minimum common agenda for the welfare and betterment of human being so that problems faced by each and every individual could be resolved.

Dr Ghazi rejected allegations levelled against Islam by the West as 'baseless' and pointed out that the historic facts were being ignored by those inimical to Muslims.

Prof Pirzada Qasim urged Muslim scholars to write more and more books on Islam as these were in great demand in the West. Publication and circulation in the required number, he added, would enable Muslim scholars to present a true picture of Islam and dispel misgivings being created by vested interests.

Emphasizing the need for educating the Ummah, suffering from backwardness, ignorance and poverty in most parts of the world, he called for an improvement in the condition and performance of educational institutions in the Ummah.

Prof Khalil-ur-Rehman highlighted the academic performance and achievements of the Centre and said that two new courses 'Shariah & Law' and 'Islamic Banking' would be introduced by the institution after approval from the Academic Council. He said the courses would be launched in collaboration with the International Islamic University. -APP