19 November 2004	Friday	06 Shawwal 1425

KARACHI, Nov 18: Dr Gunter Mulack, Commissioner for Dialogue Among Civilizations and a known German scholar, has reiterated the urgency to establish justice across the globe , and to do away with incongruity severely affecting the credibility of the West in the Muslim world.

Speaking at a session, organized by the Hamdard Thinkers' Forum on Thursday, the scholar also underscored the need on part of all people to comprehend and share the commonalities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism, paving way for a dignified co-existence of all people across the globe.

"It has to be realized that religion has its importance as it provides identity, but it must not be intermingled with politics," Dr Mulack said, maintaining that the trend otherwise led to misuse of religion to attain political ends.

Meanwhile, acknowledging injustices committed against the Muslim world, the speaker in the same breath also urged the latter to also take into stock inadequacies in their ranks and to do away with the injustices and double standards prevalent within their societies itself.

"We have to be more self political", the scholar said, while suggesting that the people need to look into their own faults instead of blaming others or searching for hidden hands behind the curtain.

Referring to the contradictions within the policies of major powers, he regretted that it was grossly effecting their credibility, adding that these were also not approved by a large majority of the people in the West itself.

Referring to the series of religious wars fought in Europe during the 17th century between Protestants and Catholics, he maintained it was only after massive loss that significance of a peaceful co-existence and respect for each others values was established there.

Dr Mulack, on the occasion strongly supported the proposition forwarded by Pakistani scholars for a meaningful effort to modify the mind-set of youth through effective education system.

He said that the Muslims as well as Christians and Jews ought to realize that despite being different they shared varied common values, and that dogmatism could not take any one any where but pragmatism could.

Sindh Education and Literacy Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro, who also spoke on the occasion, said Islam and Europe had lived together for centuries, but current western policies had pitched them against each other as West was widely blamed for injustices against the Muslims.

She said militancy, terrorism and jihadi trends were creation of post-cold-war era, as the United States and Europe patronized and used Islamic thought, in the shape of Taliban, against Russia.

She said Madressahs and seminaries, which basically were for imparting Islamic knowledge of peace and brotherhood, were turned into training camps for jihadi people, and Pakistan was the worst sufferer of sectarianism, drugs, illegal weapons etc.

Calling upon the West to change its policies against the Islamic world, she said quality education at the grassroots level was the only way to promote peace, harmony, brotherhood and to address extremism, adding that the West would have to change its attitude against the Muslims and bridge the gap between the both societies.

She also appreciated the German government's efforts for initiating dialogue between the West and the Islamic worlds, saying it would enhance understanding among the people living in various countries.

Sindh Information Secretary Ms Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, in her speech said Islam was the religion of peace and love, which taught us tolerance and promoted brotherhood, deploring that the West's attitude was very much hostile against Islam after 9/11 incidents.

She said the West, in the past, declared the Muslims as tolerant, peaceful and democratic people, but now they were branding the Muslims as fundamentalists.

She maintained West itself would have to consider that how they have to deal the other world and it must think and realize that spraying bombs to find out a individual is unfair.

Mrs Rashidi said due to the attitude of the West, the Muslim children, who earlier were eager to go to Western countries for education or jobs, were now not ready to stay there.-APP/PPI