‘Islam and Humanitarian Action: Prospects and Challenges’

Human compassion and service to people is central to Islam: Speakers at two-day national conference on humanitarian action

Humanitarian actions and services form the very core of Islamic philosophy and principles and this is not only evident from the commandments of Allah and the teachings of Quran, but also manifested by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) via his actions throughout his life.

These views were expressed by speakers during a two-day national conference titled ‘Islam and Humanitarian Action: Prospects and Challenges’, which was jointly organized by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad at a private hotel in Karachi on November 24-25, 2021.

The conference, which saw researchers from different universities, seminaries and social welfare organizations from across the country presenting their dissertations, was attended by renowned ulema as well as heads and representatives of national and international social welfare organizations.

The first day of the event was graced by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman, president, Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Pakistan, as a chief guest. Many ulema including Maulana Yaseen Zafar from Faisalabad, Mufti Abdul Munim from Karachi, Molvi Abdullah Khoso from Kashmore, Mohammad Rafiq Shinwari from Peshawar, Dr Mohammad Tariq Ramzan from Sargodha, and Dr Ashfaq Ahmad from Islamabad presented their research papers on the occasion, before Chairman IPS Khalid Rahman, Vice Chairman IPS Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, Dr Zia ullah Rahmani, regional advisor on Islamic law and fiqh, ICRC, Maulana Dr Ahmad Binori from Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia, Binori Town, Karachi, Shujauddin Sheikh from Tanzeem-e-Islami, Pakistan, and renowned educationist and scholar Dr Syed Mohsin Naqvi shared their views.

On the concluding day of the conference, Abdul Shakoor, president, Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan, Kanwar Waseem, provincial secretary, Red Crescent Pakistan, Prof Dr Anis Ahmed, vice chancellor, Riphah International University (RIU), Islamabad and Maulana Mufti Abdul Raheem from Jamia Rasheed, Karachi chaired separate sessions. Dr Shehzad Channa and Raheela Khan Advocate from Karachi, Dr Umar Saleem, Dr Maleeha Zeba Khan and Hafiz Usama Hameed from Islamabad and Aqsa Tasgheer from Lahore presented their papers whereas Maulana Hanif Jalandhari, nazim-e-aala, Wafaq-ul-Madaris Alarbia Pakistan, Umair Hassan, head of Islamic Relief UK, Abdul Shakoor, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Dr Fayyaz Alam, Dua Foundation, Dr Shahida Nomani, Shaoor Welfare Trust, Umair Siddiqui, member of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Maulana Dr Zubair Ashraf Usmani from Darul Uloom Karachi, Dr Syed Aziz-ur-Rehman and Dr Sohail Akhtar, former president of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) expressed their views following the papers presentation.

In the opening ceremony of the conference, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman stressed that extending help to the needy in the hour of grief is not only Allah’s commandment in the Qur’an but it was also reflected by the Prophet’s (PBUH) through practice all his life. This was also emphasized by the Prophet (PBUH) in his farewell sermon which teaches Muslims equality and empathy, he added.

Underlining the role of religious scholars and ulema in humanitarian services, Mufti Muneeb was of the view that it is the fundamental obligation of Muslim religious scholars to support every victim of oppression in the world.

The scholar also urged the United States and the European community to lift financial sanctions imposed on Afghanistan following the ascension of the Taliban to power in Kabul, in order to avoid the humanitarian crisis that might befall upon the war-hit country if the financial support required for running state affairs is not provided.

Mufti Muneeb also rued that some powers want to achieve their nefarious goals under the guise of humanitarian services. He warned that such actions would malign the noble cause and dishearten those humanitarian workers who are genuinely striving for creating a better world for future generations.

Sharing his views on the second day, Maulana Jalandhri said that the crux of Islam, according to most credible ulemas, lies in the obedience of the Almighty, following of the Prophet’s teachings and serving of humanity. A living example of this, according to him, could be seen in form of many humanitarian organizations which are working in the name of Islam and making collective efforts to serve humanity.

He further added that the madrassas and religious seminaries in the country are not only providing religious education to millions of poor, orphaned and needy students, but are also a source of sustenance for them.

Referring to Wafaq-ul-Madaris Alarabia Pakistan, Hanif Jalandhari said that about 23000 madrassas from all over the country are affiliated with this Wafaq alone, benefiting more than 2.5 million students across Pakistan; and this data is from only one Wafaq, he pointed, while other Wafaqs could present similar stats of their own. This underscores how these Wafaqs and madaris are playing not only the role of religious educational institutions, but also that of social welfare organizations.

Abdul Shakoor said social service organizations including Al-Khidmat are active for humanitarian service in the light of Islamic teachings and are committed to serving people, both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in Pakistan as well as abroad, without any discrimination or hidden interest.

Addressing the session, Mufti Abdul Raheem said the solution to the problems being faced by humanity lies in following the path set by the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and stressed the need for eradicating depression and anxiety in today’s world.

Referring to the minorities, he warned if non-Muslims living in Pakistan are insecure then the Muslims across the globe would also be in distress. He underlined the importance of human compassion in Islam by saying that even in times of war, the agreements made with the infidels were implemented in letter and spirit and the infidels were also helped in their difficulties when needed. He deplored the gulf of misunderstanding lying between seminaries and NGOs and believed that this mistrust must be bridged.

Dr Maleeha Zeba Khan, non-resident fellow at IPS and assistant professor at National University of Modern Languages (NUML) presented an interesting dissertation highlighting that about three quarters of the land is water based and a large number of people have been using these sea routes since times immemorial for maritime trade, fishing and security. The presence of such a large number of people at sea for these various purposes also poses a variety of threats to them in form of natural disasters such as tsunamis and hurricanes, as well as human trafficking, piracy and other crimes, or accidents involving boats, ships or fishermen. She opined that the humanitarian services rendered within the oceans by law enforcement agencies such as the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) must also be appreciated in this regard.

Concluding the conference, Dr  Zia ullah Rahmani on behalf of ICRC and Khalid Rahman on behalf of IPS thanked the participants and hoped such endeavors would continue in the future as well.