Inter-faith dialogue: Speakers stress need to highlight commonalities
Hungry has a long history of interaction with Islam and Muslims, that dates back to more than 1,000 years
PHOTO: MUSLIM INSTITUTE FACEBOOK PAGE
ISLAMABAD:
Speakers at a seminar emphasised the need to highlight commonalities between religions besides improving mutual understanding between Islam and the so-called West.
The seminar “Western perceptions about Islam and Muslims: a case of Hungry” was organised by the Muslim Institute on Wednesday at a local hotel.
Hungry has a long history of interaction with Islam and Muslims, that dates back to more than 1,000 years, they added.
The tomb of Sufi Gul Baba and other historical places built by Muslims in medieval times represented roots of Hungary’s link with Islam, speakers added.
“We should promote bilateral relations with Hungry and create awareness about respective cultures in both countries so as to promote mutual understanding for strategic outcomes and long-lasting relations,” they said.
The speakers said that perhaps one of the main reasons of misconceptions about Islam in the so-called West was occurrence of certain acts of terrorism and violence.
They were of the view that Muslims living in the Europe now had a greater responsibility to portray a better image in their host countries.
Professor Ramadan of the University of Oxford described three main principles to be fulfilled in order to become integrated in Europe.
These include law, language and loyalty, and majority of Muslims fulfill all three, he said.
“Particular actions of few individuals should not be related to whole community whether it is the so-called West or Muslims. We should understand that the slogans raised for the sake of some political and vested interests should be kept separate from reality and be analysed in terms of factual narratives,” he said.
Hungarian Ambassador Istvan Szabo, International Centre for Democratic Transition Hungary President Ambassador (retd) Dr Istvan Gyarmati, ISSI Director General Ambassador (retd) Masood Khan, Comsats Institute of Information Technology Centre for Policy Studies Head Ambassador (retd) Fauzia Nasreen and Muslim Institute Chairperson Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali addressed the seminar.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2016.
Speakers at a seminar emphasised the need to highlight commonalities between religions besides improving mutual understanding between Islam and the so-called West.
The seminar “Western perceptions about Islam and Muslims: a case of Hungry” was organised by the Muslim Institute on Wednesday at a local hotel.
Hungry has a long history of interaction with Islam and Muslims, that dates back to more than 1,000 years, they added.
The tomb of Sufi Gul Baba and other historical places built by Muslims in medieval times represented roots of Hungary’s link with Islam, speakers added.
“We should promote bilateral relations with Hungry and create awareness about respective cultures in both countries so as to promote mutual understanding for strategic outcomes and long-lasting relations,” they said.
The speakers said that perhaps one of the main reasons of misconceptions about Islam in the so-called West was occurrence of certain acts of terrorism and violence.
They were of the view that Muslims living in the Europe now had a greater responsibility to portray a better image in their host countries.
Professor Ramadan of the University of Oxford described three main principles to be fulfilled in order to become integrated in Europe.
These include law, language and loyalty, and majority of Muslims fulfill all three, he said.
“Particular actions of few individuals should not be related to whole community whether it is the so-called West or Muslims. We should understand that the slogans raised for the sake of some political and vested interests should be kept separate from reality and be analysed in terms of factual narratives,” he said.
Hungarian Ambassador Istvan Szabo, International Centre for Democratic Transition Hungary President Ambassador (retd) Dr Istvan Gyarmati, ISSI Director General Ambassador (retd) Masood Khan, Comsats Institute of Information Technology Centre for Policy Studies Head Ambassador (retd) Fauzia Nasreen and Muslim Institute Chairperson Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali addressed the seminar.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2016.