Maulanas meet to iron out differences between sects

Maulanas of different sects in Islam, mainly Shiahs and Sunni, recently met to smooth out their differences and come up with ways to live peacefully.

The meeting in Karimi library at the Anjuman Islam School was held under the banner 'The call for a dialogue on peaceful co-existence and reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiahs and others'; it was organised by Wisdom Foundation.

Zeenat Shaukat Ali, who organised the program, said that an agenda was brought out: "We will be bring forth a publication on Islam's values on peaceful co-existence and humanitarian ideals with quotations from the Quran, and traditions of the Prophet."

Ali added that the publication will be brought out in the form of a booklet in English, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati. It will be compiled as a text and distributed to educational institutions, madrassas, government offices and members of Parliament.

During the meet, Maulanas spoke of the non-violent existence of their religion. "Even when there was violence, it was for defensive use. Violence is repugnant to Islam," said Maulana Ather Ali, a Sunni.

Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi, who belongs to the Shiah sect, said that an Indian example needs be highlighted with respect to communal harmony.

Maulana Fayyaz Baqir, another Shiah, said: "We also need to emphasise on our education system. While coming and having a dialogue is one thing, we need to ensure this kind of meeting is brought to practical life."