ISLAMABAD: Religious leaders, scholars, political figures and civil society representatives from Pakistan and various countries on Tuesday signed the Islamabad Declaration for Global Peace and Harmony at a one-day international conference on interfaith harmony, pledging to promote dialogue, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The declaration was presented unanimously at the conference organised by the International Research Council for Religious Affairs, an Islamabad-based think tank, bringing together prominent religious scholars, interfaith leaders and international participants to discuss the challenges confronting peace, religious harmony and peaceful coexistence in the contemporary world, according to a press release.
Participants described the Islamabad Declaration as Pakistan’s message of peace and security to the world, expressing hope that the initiative would help prevent conflict and promote dialogue and understanding among communities, faiths and cultures.
Speakers said Pakistan’s efforts towards promoting global peace, including the Islamabad dialogue and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, would be remembered as an important contribution towards preventing escalation and encouraging peaceful solutions to international disputes.
Sahibzada Adnan Qadri, Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs, while endorsing the Islamabad Declaration in his address, said the document would prove to be a milestone in promoting religious harmony and strengthening mutual understanding among communities.
Dr Qibla Ayaz, former chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, said negative perceptions about Pakistan at the international level needed to be addressed and that religious leaders had an important role to play in this regard.
“The Islamabad Declaration will now serve as Pakistan’s message to the world,” he said, emphasising the need for religious leadership to contribute towards peace, tolerance and a more positive international understanding of Pakistan.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, former federal minister, said religious leaders had a responsibility to understand the spirit and philosophy of religion and use that understanding to help resolve conflicts.
He stressed the need to prevent conflicts rooted in religious or ethnic discrimination and to promote peaceful coexistence. He said the declaration was based on the principle that humanity comes first, adding that Islam teaches respect and dignity for human beings.
A panel discussion at the conference featured Rashad Bukhari, Hafiz Ghulam Murtaza, Nazia Ansari, Shermjan Kailash, Haroon Arthur and Maulana Asim Makhdoom, who discussed religious harmony in Pakistan, the challenges faced by different communities and possible solutions in the light of the Islamabad Declaration.
International scholar Kelly Johnson highlighted the importance of interfaith harmony, shared values, patience, tolerance and sustained interfaith and intercultural dialogue.
Zamran James stressed the need for conflict resolution, negotiations, empathy and dialogue to counter hatred and violence, saying that sustainable peace could only be achieved by addressing differences through peaceful means.
Muhammad Israr Madani, head of the International Research Council for Religious Affairs, said the Islamabad Declaration represented an important addition to a growing body of international initiatives aimed at promoting peace and human fraternity.
He referred to the document alongside the Paigham-e-Pakistan, the Marrakesh Declaration, the Amman Declaration, the Makkah Charter, and the declaration on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.
“It is now our collective responsibility to take this message forward so that the Islamabad Declaration can become the first drop in a wider movement for peace and harmony across the world,” he said.
