‘International Conference on Sufism and Peace’ will be held in Lahore towards end of next month. The international moot is being organised by the International Sufi Council, headquarters of which are located in Lahore and the Central Secretariat of which is being also established in the provincial metropolis. The ISC was established at the end of the first ‘International Conference on Sufism and Peace’ which was held in Islamabad in March last year under the auspices of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) on an initiative of its chairman, well-known writer and intellectual Fakhar Zaman. But this time, it is being organized by the newly-established International Sufi Council. The moot was attended by 90 high profile literary figures from 40 countries as delegates who had decided to form the International Sufi Conference and Fakhar Zaman was elected its chairman unanimously. Zaman told a group of journalists at his Model Town residence on Thursday that a large number of international literary and cultural personalities including those who were reputed internationally for their expertise on mysticism from all over the world will be attending the moot.
He said more than 150 such eminent figures had been invited from all over the world adding that most of them were likely to participate in the conference and exchange their views with national and international delegates to the conference. Zaman said the conference would deliberate on different aspects of Sufism, highlight of the message of love, brotherhood, tolerance and fraternity which all Sufis have been giving over the centuries. He said in the face of extremism, it was the dire need of the hour that people revert to Sufism and the moot will help the people understand and appreciate what Sufism was all about and how it can usher in peace in the world by adhering to the teachings of the Sufis which they have been giving in prose and poetry.
He said the conference will continue for three days and detailed programme and final dates will be announced in due course of time after all arrangements have been finalised. However, it has already been decided that a cultural programme will be organised during the conference and more importantly some documentaries in English on the Sufi Poets of Pakistan will be shown. In response to queries, he said that the conference programme is being finalised in consultation with the foreign delegates of the first International Conference on Sufism and Peace held in Islamabad in March last year. Delegates from the participating countries were elected then as the presidents of the Council for their respective countries. He said this would help in chalking out a comprehensive programme for the moot to make it meaningful, objective and result-oriented in all respects.
