Page 17 - Pakistan Link - November 15, 2019

COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 15, 2019 – PAKISTAN LINK – P17
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VOL. 29/46 Friday, November 15, 2019 18 Rabi al-Awwal 1441

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The Purpose of Life: Make Every Effort to Understand Others

Attorney-at-law Mowahid Hussain Shah (upper row) and Ambassador Arsalan Suleman (lower row) with Dr Akbar Ahmed and his World of Islam class

n By Anjali Singh and Mayra Bokhari of our classroom; Mowahid Shah, attorney- no winners at the end of the day, when fear tinue this notion of powerful dialogue, with
at-law, columnist for the Pakistan Link, and and anger are used for violent retaliation. respect and dignity for others. This is the
hat is the purpose of life? Ambas- former Pakistani Cabinet Minister, spoke The clash of civilizations is not just West- time to realize we are on the wrong track.
sador Akbar Ahmed, former Paki- to our class about seeking truth in dialogue ern-Muslim world, but also pertains to the We need to promote the dignity and honor
Wstani High Commissioner and Ibn this September. Muslim-Hindu world. of those around us, to encourage interfaith
Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at Ameri- During the talk, we were reintroduced Interfaith relations have caused burn- dialogue and understand others. This is the
can Univer- to the concept of the “clash of civiliza- ing issues of our time. As students, we stand track Shah is on and he encourages us to
sity, raised tions,” which we have discussed in class. at the forefront to the path to humanity. consider it as well.
this question Shah stated that “We have tried the path Leaders have paved the way for us to real- This discussion was continued one
in his class of confrontation. Let’s give a chance now ize that we are on the wrong track with our week later when Ambassador Arsalan Sule-
World of Is- to reconciliation. That is a path forward in understanding. Shah explained, “Islam is man, US Special Envoy to the Organization
lam. How do Western-Muslim relations.” He wasted no interwoven in the fabric of American life.” of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) came and
Islamic schol- time in mentioning that we are at a pivotal One example of the integration of Islam in spoke to our class. He conveyed that the
ars and others answer this question? age: that our generation is suffering from American life was through Malcolm X’s sto- United States has always been perceived as
While the question is one with a pos- the backlash of the attacks that occurred on ry of redemption. We had the chance to hear a hegemonic power and that Samuel Hun-
sibility of answers, the complexity breach- September 11th, 2001. The steps taken after this story, as we got the opportunity to chat tington’s framework of the “clash of civili-
es past philosophical perspectives. As these attacks has led to the rise of mean- with Shah on a more intimate level about zations” gained momentum due to the fact
Ahmed’s students, we are asked to analyze spiritedness and negative rhetoric. But this these issues. In prison, Malcolm X encoun- of its simplicity. The blame was nowhere to
these questions and promote dialogue. negative aura is not exclusive to the post- tered Islam and later reconciled his past be seen towards the “typical American” and
Ahmed stresses the importance of interfaith 9/11 world; it has existed throughout soci- thoughts, finally serving as a promoter of the clash of civilizations became a concept
discourse, recognizing the efforts of nota- ety and can be exemplified by the conflict racial integration. His honor for others has exhibited through biases and media cover-
ble figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and between India and Pakistan. Shah states influenced other great leaders of interfaith age. However, the so-called “clash” ranging
Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This influence of that there is no such thing as a ubiquitous dialogue, such as Muhammad Ali. They all from the time prior to 9/11 to post-9/11
dialogue has been widely embraced outside solution to this problem and that there are continue to have the same mantra: to con- PURPOSE, P18

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