HYDERABAD: Speakers at a session on Sufism on the first day of the three-day ‘Sufi Melo (festival) at Sindh Museum on Friday advised world powers to adopt Sindh’s human-friendly approach if they were serious in establishing peace, and asserted that every kind of philosophy and ideology was acceptable to Sindh except that of war and weapons.

Writer Madad Ali Sindhi said during a debate on Adam bardahst ain un jo hal (intolerance and its solution) that mysticism could only be understood in its historical perspective.

Sindh, which was a citadel of peace before the partition and Karachi which was considered to be Paris of the region, saw its first riots after 1977 when attempts were made to promote fascism in the province, he said.

He said that there were many challenges at that time including intolerance, extremism and terrorism which needed to be countered through sustained struggle. It was Sindh’s struggle that led to the abolition of One Unit and it was such a repressive period that one could not dare utter the name of Sindh without facing its consequences, he said.

Scholars, literati speak against war and bloodshed, advocate Sindh’s human-friendly approach

He said that no weapons were found in 5,000-year-old history of Sindh and despite that the region was prosperous. Peoples’ rights were usurped in the name of religion but people of Sindh always took the path of peace, harmony and welfare of fellow human beings, which were hallmarks of mystic behaviour, he said.

Sindh secretary of culture Munawar Mahesar, who inaugurated the Melo in the absence of Sindh Minister for Culture Syed Sardar Ali Shah, urged people to forgive others and do away with their own anguish. Many countries had played a role in the promotion of intolerance but it was only Sindh that had countered all such conspiracies, which were aimed at fanning extremism, he said.

He said that things had drastically changed from the era of 60s. Today’s youth was more informed. Mysticism was a behaviour and not a religion but was part of every religion as it taught tolerating each other, he said.

Jannan Chan Junior said that Sindhis had always showed large heartedness. Faqir Jannan Chan was born into a peasant family and always tried to emulate his murshid, he said.

He said that today’s youth had embraced mysticism but elite always showed hypocrisy in its attitude as they never truly stood by society. Sindh’s secular essence had been imprisoned in the shape of urban populace and religion and religious extremism were promoted, he said.

Dr Sher Mahrani said that Bhitai had taught tolerance and a true mystic never stroked his ego. Denial of one’s self was in fact mysticism and Islam too had given message of tolerance and harmony, he said.

He said that Sufis were fertile in though and equally resilient as they responded to bomb blast with dhamal. The world powers should adopt Sindh’s human-friendly approach if they were seriously interested in establishing peace, he said, adding that Sindh could accept every philosophy and ideology except that of war and weapons.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2023