November 15, 2018: CODE PAKISTAN held a consultation with the students and faculty of Islamia College, Peshawar, on countering on-campus violent extremism in Pakistan. The consultations focused on promoting university-madrasah interaction and exploring causes of violence and types of extremism in youth.
The faculty members of Islamia College University shared with CODE PAKISTAN that peace, tolerance, inclusivity, and cultural diversity was the vision of the founder of Islamia College Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan more than 100 years ago. They further shared that Islamia College had embraced diverse cultures from across Pakistan during its long educational history.
The students and faculty members of Islamia College shared that Islamia College had not only produced scientists and doctors but also religious scholars and theologians. They shared that Islamia College had 13 different student bodies under the umbrella of Khyber Union, a student body formed in 1921. They added that the student bodies under the umbrella of Khyber Union in Islamia College were organizing various positive co-curricular and extra-curricular activities involving the students. They added that the student bodies of Islamia College were quite capable of undertaking any projects in the field of countering violent extremism.
The students and faculty members of Islamia College emphasized the rich cultural heritage of the city of Peshawar itself. They were of the view that the city was an epitome of hospitality, tolerance, forbearance, and cultural diversity. They stressed utilizing the potential of the city of Peshawar for countering violent extremism.
Alongside the students, the participants of the consultation included the following prominent faculty members of Islamia College University: Dr. Abaseen Yousafzai, Dr. Murad Khan, Dr. Noor ul Amin, Dr. Tufail Zaryab, Dr. Jahangir Shah, Dr. Gohar Ali, Dr. Naseem Yousafzai, Mr. Tufail Zaryab, Ms. Asma, Mr. Syed Noman Mustafa, and Mr. Arif ul Haq, . The administration of Islamia College had also invited the senior students of its associated Islamia Collegiate School to the consultation. The consultation was part of a series of consultations that CODE PAKISTAN has planned with the faculties and students of various universities across Pakistan.