The US Consulate General in Karachi hosted an inter-faith conference bringing together a Muslim mufti, a Catholic bishop and a Hindu social activist.
US Consulate Karachi Public Affairs Officer Kevin Murakami delivered the opening remarks at the conference.
“The US does not put more value on one religion over another, rather it values the freedom to worship whatever faith one chooses,” he said. “We are so proud to support this conference because we believe people of all faiths can achieve so much more by working together in an atmosphere of religious tolerance and harmony.”
Over 100 male and female students of different faiths from a local educational institution participated in the conference.
The conference was organised by the Pakistani alumni of US-sponsored exchange programmes, aimed at fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among Pakistanis of different religions in Karachi.
The panel was moderated by Professor Dr Abdul Rashid, a nationally-recognised professor of Islamic Studies Department at the University of Karachi.
The panellists included: Rev Sadiq Danial, Bishop of Karachi, Dr Ramesh Vankwani, founder of Pakistan Hindu Council, and Mufti Ferozuddin of the International Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony.
Throughout the day-long conference, the panellists discussed the status of minority religions in Pakistan and debated how to best correct misperceptions held by some faiths against others.
They recommended establishing a special committee to address challenges related to inter-faith relations, such as forced conversions, honour killings and alleged kidnappings.
Students in the audience also actively participated through the question and answer sessions and raised their own concerns through sharing personal stories.
