Call for concerted efforts to promote greater understanding

A three-day international symposium on 'Islamic Civilisation in South Asia' began in the city yesterday to look back on this part of the history and identify and research on the contributions made by Islam to different areas of life in South Asia.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) organised the programme in association with the Dhaka University at a city hotel.
Islamic scholars from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will deliver their speeches at different sessions of the symposium which was inaugurated by Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain.
Touhid Hossain said, “Our nation, which has thousands of years of history, has its deep-rooted conviction in the human spirit and the dignity of human expressions. With the infusion of Islam in the mainstream socio-cultural modes of existence, the people of Bangladesh have ascribed an even greater conviction in the equality and universality of core human values.”
A collective effort should be in place to promote greater understanding and people should prove their commitment to peace and show their moderation, he said.
On the occasion, an art and photography exhibition also began at the Zainul Gallery of Institute of Fine Art at DU yesterday afternoon. DU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof SMA Faiz inaugurated the show.
The DU VC, IRCICA Director General Dr Halit Eren and Foreign Ministry Director General (International Organisations) Muhammad Imran spoke at the opening session of the symposium.
Dr Halit said IRCICA as the OIC's cultural centre is promoting research and international cooperation for studies on Islamic civilisation, inter-cultural relations, cultural development and the history, art and cultural heritage of the OIC member states and Muslim communities all over the world.
The research centre aims at making known this history correctly, rectifying misunderstanding about it, and helping promote positive understanding among Muslim counties and with other nations of the world by the medium of cultural activities, he added.