PESHAWAR: Speakers at an award giving ceremony have stressed the need for interfaith harmony and religious tolerance to strengthen national unity and termed it the best way forward for an inclusive, progressive and just society.

Mafkoora, a private research institute, arranged an event at its centre here on Friday to confer a commendation shield on a noted social activist Wagma Feroz for winning the $3,000 grand prize for her short film on religious freedom by an international organisation ‘Empower Women Media’ for the year 2021.

Young scholar Mufti Maaz honoured Ms Feroz with a shawl as a token of respect and appreciated her creative work.

A large number of rights activists, members of minority groups and writers attended the ceremony. Sahib Singh, Maulana Khanzeb, Aroon Sarab, Noorul Amin Yousafzai and Faisal Faran were also among the participants.

Young filmmaker Wagma Feroz honoured

Speakers said that national spirit and interfaith harmony should be promoted at all costs to forge national unity.

“Representatives of all faiths and social groups should join hands together to root out religious intolerance and do away with thoughts devouring women rights,” they stressed.

Addressing the event held in Peshawar, Wagma Feroz, rights activist and CEO of ‘Da Torsaro Saadar’ said that she received the award for producing a short film titled ‘She Makes Everything Beautiful’ based on a multi-faith salon in Swat where women from Muslim, Christen, Hindu, and Sikh faiths worked together.

She added that the basic objective of the film was to highlight the socio-cultural face of the otherwise conservative society of the country and strive hard to bring drastic changes for women and minorities’ rights.

The international cash award was a great honour for all Pakistani women and minority groups raising voice for equal rights and opportunities to ensure national cohesion and religious freedom, she said, adding that terrorists were exploiting the name of religion to achieve their evil designs.

Prof Samiuddin Arman, a noted writer, pointed out that some undemocratic and anti-society forces were creating hurdles in the way of building a pluralistic society, but such efforts could be averted only through promoting positive values.

Hayat Roghani, CEO of Mafkoora, said that Wagma Feroz should be credited for her work as women like her could bring change in the society.

Ali Sajid, Dr Durwaish Afridi, Mala Akhtari, Subash Chander and Usman Khattak also spoke at the event.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2021