University Madrasah Discussion on Minority Rights

November 26, 2015: CODE PAKISTAN held a discussion on “The Shrinking White in the Pakistani Flag” between the students of Abasyn University and various madrasahs of Islamabad. The students of the two institutions actively participated in the discussion. It turned out to be one of those subjects on which the views of the students of Abasyn University and the madrasahs did not seem to diverge too much. Students of both the institutions emphasized the religiously, politically and legally ordained rights of minorities in Pakistan. The students of both education systems, however, seemed to have very little knowledge about the on-ground situation of the violation of minority rights in Pakistan. Many of them were in complete denial of violation of minority rights in the country, and some even said that Muslims were suffering more in Pakistan as compared to the religious minorities. Mr. Mubashir Akram of the Shaoor Foundation for Education and Awareness—who was the moderator of the discussion—called for greater understanding among the students of both systems of education about current social issues. He urged the students of both education systems to put aside their biases on such issues and ponder over alternative belief systems and lifestyles with an aim to understanding them rather than confronting them with a pre-determined mind.

The discussion was part of the University Madrasah Interaction Program (UMIP), which aims to bring the students of madrasahs and universities closer to each other by promoting positive and meaningful interaction between them. A total of ten discussions will be held between the students of Abasyn University and madrasahs under UMIP. For more details on UMIP, please click here.