Sufism to help strengthen global connectivity: Alvi

Saints spread Islam through message of love and social services

MULTAN: President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday said ‘naya Pakistan’ has no room for poverty and the country needs promotion of Sufism for global connectivity and developing deep socio-political and cultural ties with other countries in the region.

He expressed these views while speaking at the International Sufi Conference organised. The event was organised by Islamic Studies Department chairman Dr Abdul Qadoos Suhaib of Bahauddin Zakariya University. He said the message of Sufis like Bahauddin Zakariya could play a key role in global connectivity.

He invited delegations of Ulemas and senior academicians from south Punjab to the President House for an exchange of views. He said problems relating to the shortage of development funds in south Punjab would be solved on a priority basis.

The president said that Sufis played a historic role in the spread of religion in the subcontinent. “The great saint devoted his life for the promotion of tolerance and goodwill. He discouraged discrimination in the name of religion,” he said.

President Dr Alvi said the establishment of Zakariya’s shrine was a great example of tolerance established side by side of Hindu temple Parhaladpuri, who was the most sacred for Hindus. He said he was proud to be born to a Muslim family and he is happy being Muslim.

He said Bahuddin Zakariya spread Islam through the message of love and social services. He said the whole life of the prophet (PBUH) spread the message of tolerance and the prophet had assured minorities in an agreement that no Muslim would destroy churches. “This agreement had set a great example in the human history when the holy prophet (PBUH) assured the Christian minority of all kinds of safety and protection.”

Speaking on the occasion Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he was making efforts to present the true picture of Islam in the world. He said Bahauddin Zakariya was the first saint in the subcontinent who introduced the concept of a resident university.

He said the saint not only delivered the message of religion but also he introduced a way of life. He said the great saint provided guidelines for mainstreaming of madaris. Qureshi said the message of saint provides national cohesion which could be helpful in the resolution of critical problems being faced by the Federation.