Jinnah college: ‘Society desperately needs compassion’

A programme was held at Jinnah College for Women.

PESHAWAR: For a polarised society split by extremism, the only redemptive tool is ‘compassion’, said participants at a discussion group on Karen Armstrong’s book ‘12 Steps to a Compassionate Life’. The reviews were written by students of Jinnah College for Women for a programme held at the college on Monday. Lecturer Zeenat Khan said: “Students are switching towards social media and the internet, creating a vacuum in the culture of reading books.” She added that reading and reviewing Armstrong’s book would also enable students to better understand compassion. “If even a few students understand the true essence of compassion, our job is done,” said Zeenat Khan. Several reviews by students touched on the need to create awareness and empathy for peoples’ suffering. Chief guest Professor Dr Qibla Ayaz said the true essence of compassion is “to put oneself into another’s shoes”. The book was distributed among participants at the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2013.