One land, shared responsibility: Religious leaders meet in Karachi to oppose extremism

The CCIDE and NCJP Pakistan are behind the initiative that brought together students, activists, as well as Muslim, Christian, Hindus, Sikh, and Parsi leaders. The nation's founder and the values ​​of tolerance and freedom of worship were stressed. True change lies in translating the values ​​of understanding, love, respect, and peace into concrete action.

Karachi (AsiaNews) – “One Land, Shared Responsibility” regardless of faith or ethnicity was the central theme of an interfaith meeting held recently at St Patrick's College in Karachi, organised by the Catholic Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism (CCIDE) and the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Church of Pakistan. The Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) association also contributed to the event.

The meeting brought together religious leaders, students, peace activists, and representatives of civil society groups. People from various faiths attended, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Bahais, Nizari Ismailis, Bohris, Parsis, and Hindus, united in the need for mutual respect, compassion, and understanding.

Father Shakeel Gulzar, CCIDE director for the Archdiocese of Karachi, stated in his opening remarks that the purpose of the meeting was to promote peace, tolerance, and harmony among people of different religions in Pakistan, as well as to encourage Pakistanis to remain united as one nation and one human community regardless of faith or background.

The clergyman noted that all religions emphasise and convey messages of peace, and interfaith dialogue is key to overcoming divisions and conflicts.

From South Korea, HWPL representative Kyle shared the insights behind her group’s global peace initiatives and presented their peace education programme.

For CCIDE Secretary Kashif Anthony, “today we gather here not only as representatives of our respective faith, but as fellow human beings united by the common desire to build bridges of understanding, respect, and peace.”

Mansoor Jack, a member of the Bohra community and chairman of the Karachi Business Community, began his speech by saying, “We do not believe in the concept of minority or majority. We are one nation. When we come together as one, it shows our unity, love, and respect for each other.”

He added that we must motivate and sensitise young people about building peace and mutual understanding, because some of them will become the leaders of the nation, and therefore must be properly educated.

Fr Shakeel Gulzar noted that the various scriptures, be they the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, or other sacred texts, teach us the same values ​​of care, compassion, and responsibility. They  remind people to protect the environment, help others, and work for justice and peace.

So today, as we share ideas and build relationships, “I hope we can also remind ourselves that it's not just about talking. It's about what we do when we leave this room. True change happens when we bring these values ​​into our daily lives.”

Khan Ahsan Imam, of the Bahai community, said we must boost peace-building efforts to create a system that supports every culture, religion, and language in the country, which too often is the scene of sectarian violence and abuse.

For Vijay Maharaj, a Hindu religious leader, the words spoken by the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, in his address to the Constituent Assembly, should be included in the constitution so that they can truly guide the nation.

Fozia Hameed, a member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly, highlighted the great efforts made to uphold the founder's vision, according to which everyone should have the freedom to profess and follow their faith.

NCJP director Father Shahzad Arshad reminded everyone that this potential means little if we do not transform it into action. In his words, “It is only when we live these values (understanding, love, respect, peace-building) in our everyday lives, as true ambassadors of peace, that real change will happen.”

• pakistan
• karachi
• meeting
• interfaith dialogue