News
Mushahid for Muslim think tank
TOPI, Dec 05 : Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has said called for the establishment of a "Muslim Think Tank" to project view point of Muslim Ummah and counter the propaganda against Islam in an effective manner.
“The Muslim Ummah should have its own television channel to project its point of view in a better and convincing way,” Mushahid told the prize distribution ceremony of 9th Annual Bi-lingual declamation contest of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) on Saturday night.
He said in the present circumstances the Islamic world and Muslim intellectuals and journalists are facing challenges of projection of image of Islam because it is being linked with terrorism.
Mushahid said it is unfortunate that the world media did not talk about the state terrorism in Palestine committed by the Israel, killing of innocent people in Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Referring to criticism against Islam and Muslims in the West, Mushahid said, this ropaganda is uncalled far as Islam is a religion of peace.
Talking about the freedom of press in Pakistan, Mushahid quoted the statement of a British journalist Robert Fisk who said in Washington on the occasion of first anniversary of 9/11 event that Pakistan's media has more freedom than American media.
Mushahid said after 9/11, the Western and American media were reflecting what their governments wanted and project their interests. He said the extremist elements could be find in any religion, therefore, it should not be related to religion.
Regarding the criticism of nuclear power of Pakistan, Mushahid said ' bomb' has no religion, therefore, the concept of 'Islamic bomb' is absolutely wrong connotation.
“If the western media project the nuclear capability of Pakistan as 'Islamic bomb' then Israeli bomb should be ‘Jewish bomb', American bomb should be called 'Christian bomb' and Indian bomb should be considered as ‘vegetarian bomb’”.
Senator Mushahid, who is also Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has established Commission of Eminent Persons, to prepare policies to project the Islam in an effective way.
He said the Commission of Eminent Persons from the member states of OIC in its meeting being held in Malaysia, next month, would discuss the issue of effective and proper projection of Muslims and Islam.
Appreciating the speeches of the participants in the declamation contest particularly on the topic of media, Senator Mushahid said media has made rapid progress in the last couple of years and playing important role to promote and protect the democratic culture in the world.
Senator Mushahid said Muslim world has potential, capacity and capabilities, but there is need to channelised this potential to effectively fight negative propaganda against Islam.
Referring to the qualities of Pakistanis especially the capabilities of young generation, Mushahid said Pakistan's role in the world has become very important and pivotal but there is only need to project it with 'soft power' of media through art, literature, culture and golden traditions.
He said Pakistan has the talent, there is need to utilise it in a proper way to achieve success in the world. Appreciating the role of Ghulam Ishaque Khan Institute, Senator
Mushahid said, it is one of the best institutions in the country and this model institution is producing some of the finest quality students to serve in the field of science and technology inside and outside the country.
Acknowledging the contribution of former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan for establishing this prestigious institution, Mushahid said he (Ghulam Ishaq Khan) has the singular contribution to projecting, preserving, and protecting Pakistan's nuclear programme which started in 1974. He said Ghulam Ishaq Khan remained associated with this programme till 1993.
Mushahid said, with the nuclear programme, Pakistan has the capacity to defend the country, therefore, facing all the challenges and living with honour and respect.
Senator Mushahid also distributed prizes and trophy among the winners of declamation contest.
Sana Tasleem from Government College University Lahore was declared best speaker while NUST lifted the trophy.
Earlier, Rector GIKI Prof. M. Naseer Khan giving briefing to Senator Mushahid Hussain about GIKI said the institute has 81 member faculty staff, 40 of them are Ph.D. for about 900 students.