On the 2nd day, Addressing the Conference “Application of Iqbalian Vision to the 21st Century”, former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani expressed his views saying that he attaches special importance to peace in Afghanistan for the attainment of lasting peace in Pakistan. He added that Iqbal instructed spiritual leaders to come out of the shrines and take charge of the leadership of the nation.
Sahibzada Sultan Muhammad Ali of the house of the Sufi saint Hazrat Sultan Bahoo (RA) and founding father of MUSLIM Institute said Iqbal is not the Iqbal of a certain era but will always perform the obligation of guiding the followers of the faith of the Holy Messenger (PBUH). He added that Iqbal’s ideology of freedom was the foundation of the ideology of Pakistan. If Pakistan’s decisions were made in Islamabad instead of being dictated from elsewhere, that would be the Pakistan of Iqbal.
Addressing the Conference, the Chairman PML(N) Raja Zafar ul Haq said that many events are to be organized in relation to the commemoration of the birth of Iqbal, but there is no parallel to the qualitative academic discourse found at the present conference. Iqbal’s theory of unity required absolute knowledge for the achievement of unity. The revolutions in Iran and Egypt have also only come about in light of the thought of Iqbal. Muslim youth from Morocco to Pakistan are being drawn to Islamic thought and it is only Iqbal’s teachings that have proved to be a source of guidance for them.
Former DG ISI, Lt. General (R) Hamid Gul said that the Afghan nation is a brave people according to the views of Iqbal and that is why they have defeated a super power five times over. Iqbal’s thought will always live on because it is based on Quranic thought which will live forever. The coming system will be an Islamic system with Pakistan as its guardian because Islam is part of the meaning of Pakistan.
Expressing his views, Senator Akram Zaki commented that MUSLIM Institute taking up the cause of Iqbal is a highly appreciable purpose. Our youth is being lost to the misuse of mobile phone packages. It is the philosophy of Iqbal that can bring us back to a path of progress. We must keep our belief system in mind, in light of Iqbal’s thought and develop a modern and progressive social system.
Walid Iqbal, a grandson of Iqbal and a central leader of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf said that our youth need to become active players, inspired by Iqbal’s philosophy of immense love for the personality of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Iqbal spoke of expunging fear and submission to the other from Muslims. Iqbal criticized sectarianism and claimed that we’ve become worse than Hindus in this tradition.
Renowned columnist and analyst Orya Maqbool Jan addressed the congregation saying Iqbal laid the foundations of the two-nation theory. And this was in light of the verse of the Quran where Allah has made mention of the two parties: the party of Allah and the party of Saitan. He said that for Iqbal, infidelity of faith is to submit to anyone other than Allah. We are fortunate to have been born in Iqbal’s land.
Chairman MUSLIM institute Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Ali addressed the conference explaining that the Iqbal was very discontented with the conditions of the Arab world at the time and promoted the idea that all Arabs should come together to be bound by the relationship of Islam. The Arab world of today is an enlightened one and its youth proud of its Islamic identity. They believe it to be their goal when despite all projections by the Western world media, an Islamic government was formed in Egypt.
Dr. Sohail Umer expressed his views saying that the ‘Gate of Unity’ closed in the 6th Century after Hijra (AH) and was never gathered around by the Muslim world. Despite this, unity existed in varying forms which is found in the declarations and edicts of Muslim scholars. The declaration of Qadianis as non-Muslims and legislation in light of the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah are all examples of this unity, propelled by Iqbal’s thought.
Addressing the conference, Dr. Talib Hussain Sial said that Iqbal identified the struggle for knowledge as the guiding way forward for the youth. Religious sciences and science should be reconciled in light of Iqbalian thought. Iqbal’s teachings should be incorporated in the educational system at all levels. If we forgo Iqal’s values, we may be successful in becoming doctors or engineers but we will never be able to realize our own humanity.
Tariq Ismail Sagar said that according to Iqbal the west wants Muslims to adopt a concept of nationality based on geographic dispensation and forgo the unifying philosophy and politics of Islam that binds all walks of life and relegate in to a mere system of beliefs and rituals. Iqbal forbade the youth to blindly follow the secularism preached by the west and taught them the value of adopting Islamic thought.
MUSLIM Institute Research Associate Usman Hassan made a presentation wherein he explained that in light of Iqbal’s prophetic vision, he had declared over 80 years ago that Afghanistan is the heart of Asia. If the heart is not at rest, it wrecks the entire body of discomfort. We can find the conditions prevalent in Pakistan and Central Asia as testimony to this. However, for Iqbal, the success for Afghans lay in the unity of their tribes and their sustained association with the teachings of Islam.
Among representatives of all sections of society, the conference was attended by renowned analysts, professors and students of various universities, parliamentarians from the Provincial and National Assemblies, foreign diplomats, members of various research organizations and a large number of journalists and academia.
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