Scholars advocate coexistence of religions

Academicians and scholars, participating in a dialogue at Jamia Millia Islamia said that Islam is a religion of peace and mutual cooperation, advocating coexistence of people from different faith.

About 200 academics from South Asia and West Asia gathered at Jamia on Friday to participate in a dialogue on the “Role of Higher Education in Intercultural Dialogue and Strengthening World Peace.”

Addressing the inaugural session, the professor of Islamic jurisprudence at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Dr Ahmad Al Razeem, said, “Proceedings of the conference will elucidate the fact that Islam is a religion of peace and mutual cooperation, advocating coexistence of people from different faiths.”

Talking about the role of academics in promoting peace, Prof. Zaid bin Abdullah al Quroon, of the same university, said: “Academics have social responsibility to address the emerging contentious issue in the true spirit of Islamic preaching.”

The six-day international conference has been organised by the Centre for West Asian Studies of Jamia Millia Islamia, in collaboration with Saudi embassy, New Delhi, and Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, Riyadh.

According to the convener of the conference, Dr Humayun Akhtar Nazmi, the event has seen a huge response from the international scholars, who have praised the academic environment of India. “The delegates are quite happy to be here. They see India as a country of diversity and seek a role of Indian academics to work in collaboration with them,” said Dr Nazmi. Scholars and academics from across the country and Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are participating in the event.

Talking about the theme of the seminar, Dr Nazmi said it has a great significance in today’s world where religious and regional intolerance is rampant and a section of society is using religion for its vested interests.

“Some of the basic issues raised in this seminar would be, ‘How the higher education can play a positive roles in removing various misunderstanding facing the world communities What are the authentic sources of understanding the Islamic teachings What should be the role of academics and teachers in this regards ’” he added.