Where billions of rupees are being spent on post-distress management, if some portion is spent on psychological counselling, the results will be different. This was said by Mr. Riaz Fatyana, President Pakistan Psychology Association (PPA) and Chairman standing committee of National Assembly on Human Rights at the concluding ceremony of the two days International conference on Mental Health at the Qaid-e-Azam Auditorium of International Islamic University, Islamabad. Mr. Fatyana was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony whereas faculty members and large number of students were present during the conference. He said that frustration is quite high in our society which de-motivated people towards our national interests. On the prevailing terrorism in the country, Mr. Fatyana considered it as causes of the psychological trauma and violence in the society and lauded that effective measurement be made to restrict it. He has urged the need of psychology and addiction trauma centre at the International Islamic University Islamabad. Mr. Fatyana invited the students to become member of PPA and conduct research on psychological issues of the people.

Dr. Nabi Bux Jumani, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, IIU proposed that the Government should appoint at least one Psychiatric at each District of the country to help the psyche patients. He said that psychosocial issues badly affect mental health, daily life, relationships and even physical health which disturbed the whole environment. Dr. Jumani pointed out the most common forms of Mental illnesses which are panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mood disorders.

Dr. Tahir Khalily, principal organizer of the conference said that such conferences will provide opportunities for academician, researchers and clinicians in the promotion of scientific and research activities to meet the 21st century challenges. He said that earthquake and flood have effect the general health of people particularly mental health and it is increasing rapidly. He further said that mental health issues in adults might be as common as in child and adolescent population. On the violence & aggression in society, Dr. Khalily said that it is a complex phenomenon in Pakistani society, especially in Khyber-Pukhtoonkhwa.

Dr. Seema Gul, Chairperson Department of Psychology said the International moot on mental health will help the students to aware about the psychological & mental health issues of others and self as well. She said that total 111 scholars present research papers during the conference and shared research findings with the students.

At the end, the chief guest of the concluding ceremony Mr. Raiz Fatyana distributed shields and certificates among the organizers of the conference.

Female Volley Ball team of the International Islamic University, Islamabad smashed the winning title in the 2012 women week competitions organized by the Fatima Jinnah Women University, Islamabad. IIU students Miss Ammara Sajad secured first position in Urdu debate competitions whereas Miss Amber Nadeem Malik stood second in English Debate competitions. The winning students met with the Rector IIU Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik. Professor Malik congratulated the efforts of the students in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities and said that IIU always encouraged its students to participate in such activities and consider it essential along-with curricular activities. The female volley ball team comprised of Miss Misbah Hidayat (Captain), Saqiba Arshad, Aqsa Zafar, Mubeen Malik, Faiza Rehman, Sundas Farooq, Muntaha Fiaz, Ayesha Rashid and Hifsa Zafar.

Youth of the country has the potential to bring about a revolution, said Dr. Sohail Naqvi, the Executive Director of Higher Education Commission. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the First two-day “International Conference on Mental Health”, at the International Islamic University, Islamabad.

Dr. Naqvi said that International Islamic University, Islamabad has pioneered the launch of BS Programme in Psychology settings, the mark for others to follow. He said students should highlight social problems so that the expression “every thing is ok”, is done away with. He said data is lacking on every thing and people reframe from applying scientific solutions to their problems. He said media should project a positive image of the country. On social behaviour, he said that masses love to discuss drug addiction, but no one comes out to vein the addicts off drug. He said women have a positive part to play in resolution of social problems.

Dr. Naqvi said, “ We should come out of auditoriums and guest rooms and go to the people of this country to understand what they are going through.” He said people are investing a lot in education of their children and in result they deserves quality education.

President IIUI, Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad said, the university first setup a psychological training clinic for students, teachers and employees. He said, the clinic meant to help traumatised students recover. Dr. Mumtaz acknowledged the efforts of Dr. Sohail Naqvi for his cooperation with various universities in various academic and training projects. About the existence of trauma in society, he said due to its intensity violence is created. “This is not only our problem but the entire world is also facing it”, he said.

Dr. Nabi Baksh Jumani, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, IIUI who has author or co-authored over seventy research papers so far, said that there is need to identify important areas of research relating to the psychosocial problems based on scientific investigation and hope that this conference will bring impressive array of national and International intellectuals who would guide us to formulate techniques to cope with mental health issues.

Dr. M. Tahir Khalily, Principle organizer of the conference said that there is alarming increase in the number of social illness due to depression which causes suicide in the developing countries. Dr. Khalily said that we need to provoke the academic & intellectual prospects in understanding mental health issues. He said that there is no health without mental health and due the reason IIU has established specific room at the medical centre of the university.

Dr. Seema Gul, co-principal organizer of the conference said that in Pakistan there is a growing need to identify important areas of research relating to the psychosocial problems based on scientific investigation. At the conference various national and international scholars presented their papers. Conference shall remain continue tomorrow.

The Two members team of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) consist of Engineer Professor Dr. Anjum Khalid convener & expert of PEC and Engineer Osaf Muhammad Malik Deputy Registrar visited Department of Mechanical Engineering (DME), Faculty of Engineering & Technology (FET), International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).

The team met with Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik, Rector International Islamic University Islamabad. Professor Malik appreciated the role of Pakistan Engineering Council and hoped that the PEC cooperation will be continued in future with International Islamic University Islamabad.

Engineer Professor Dr. Anjum Khalid said that PEC`s full cooperation will be continued with IIU and also appreciated Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology International Islamic University Islamabad.

Later on Chairman DMC Ghulam Yaseen Chohan briefed the team about the performance of the said department. During this visit the team also visited the Laboratories of DMC, Iqra College of technology (ICT) and Central Library and showed there satisfaction over the available equipments and infrastructure. The PEC team highly appreciated the efforts of International Islamic University towards standardization of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The team also met with Faculty Members and students of the said faculty.

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) is organizing two-day “1st International Conference on Mental Health 2012” on March, 29 to March, 30, 2012. Inaugural Ceremony of the conference shall be held today on 29th March, 2012, at 09:00 AM, at Quaid-e-Azam Auditorium of the Faisal Mosque Campus of the university.

International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) is interested in sending students of its Shariah Academy to Jordan for judicial training. The university authorities expressed this interest to Jordan’s Chief Justice Muhammad Al-Mhamid who visited the Faisal Mosque and Dr. Hameedullah Library alongwith his delegation on the Tuesday. Justice Al-Mhamid is in Pakistan on an invitation by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry.
Justice Al-Mhamid highly appreciated the collection of books and research journals at the IIUI’s Dr. Hameedullah Library. He also expressed interest in training of the students of Shariah Academy and Faculty of Shariah and Law in Jordan. He said Islam has pressed a good deal on the importance of justice. He said the Almighty has ordained for dispensation of justice among the masses. He said Jordan’s Shariah Court deals with personal, domestic, familial and civil affairs. He said Jordan’s Institute of Judicial Training gives scholarships to high performing students and arrange for their jobs.
In the end IIUI Rector Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik presented the university shield and President Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad a book titled as “Asma ul Husna” to the honourable chief justice.

Students of Faculty of Shariah & Law, Mr. Waleed Zafar secured first position, Anas Ahmad second, & Abid Mehmood third in an urdu speech competitions. Wajid Munir of the same faculty stood first, Asad Khan second, & Muhammad Ishaq stood third in an English speech competitions. Dr. Ravish Nadeem was the chairman Urdu competitions, Major Retd Ata Ullah Chairman Quiz competitions Dr. Munawar Iqbal Gondal act as chairman English competitions and Hasan Abdul Baqi was the chairman Qirat, Hifz and Naat competitions.

Hifz competitions were divided into four parts which includes full Quran, 15 chapters, 7 chapters & 3 chapters from the Holy Quran. Mr. Abdul Rehman baz student of faculty of Usul-e-Din secured 1st position and Mr. Abdul Rehman Al-Ghaffari student of faculty of Shariah & Law secured 2nd position. Syed Luqman Shah, student of faculty of Shariah & Law, Janbaz Durrani, Salah-ud-Din Faculty of Usuluddin jointly secured 1st position whereas Imran Sarwar and Zahoor Alam stood on 2nd & 3rd position respectively in the third part of the Hifz competitions. In the fourth part of Hifz competition, Mr. Qaiser Mehmood Farrukh stood first and Lutfullah remained on second position.

In urdu Naat competitions, Hafiz Sana Ullah Bukhari secure first, Muhammad Zulqarnain second and Qazi Mati ur Rehman remained third whereas in Arabic Naat competitions Qaiser Mehmood Farrukh, stood on first, Abdul Rehman Alghaffari second and Abdul Rehman Baz secured third position. In Qirat competition Wajahat raz, Ibtisam ur Rehman and Abdul Rehman secured 1st, 2nd & 3rd respectively. The winners of the above competitions will be awarded prizes in the concluding ceremony of the coming cultural week to be held in next month at IIUI.

He said big and small dams can easily be build to add to water reservoirs. He said errors in the system of water preservation need to be rectified instantly. On food security, he said traditional ways of harvesting crops are costly and new technology should be applied to get better results.

Prof. Dr. Irfan, Dean Faculty of basic and applied sciences, IIUI said that social behaviours regarding water consumption need to be changed. He said need for water and food is growing faster it the growth of human population. He said water conversation is key to survival of the generation to come. Prof. Irfan said that since water has no substitute it is our responsibility to justify its usage.

Mohsin Lodhi, Chief Executive Officer, Atlantis Premium said that water is the most important element for human survival. He said a human being can live one month without food but can live only for a week without water. He said Islam also teaches judicious use of water. He said there has been a rise in the deaths caused in Pakistan by polluted water. He said pure water should have minerals and oxygen in it.

Heads of various units of the Institute: Dr. Muhammad al-Ghazali, Dr. Suhail Hassan and Dr. Ismatullah also addressed on the occasion. Professor Fateh Muhammad said that justice was a hallmark of Islam, but it was very unfortunate that the very concept of justice and its vitality was forgotten and left by the Muslims which resulted in present day precarious and ugly situation of the Muslim ummah. It is very sad that the Muslim communities all over the world are experiencing the worst of situations. Professor Malik deplored the feudalism in the Muslim world and termed as totally un-Islamic and contrary to the teachings of the Prophet of Islam. Professor Malik urged the Islamic Research Institute to focus on the presentation of pure Islamic teachings through its publications and events. He assured his full support to the Institute in this connection in future.

Mufti Muhammad Zahid in his Keynote address on “Pakistan kay Islami Tahqeeqi Idaron ka kam, asrat, jaiza aur Tajawiz,” highlighted salient features of research on Islam in Pakistan. He proposed some paradigm shifts in research activities, keeping in view the global requirements and challenges faced by the Muslim ummah.

Dr. Muhammad Khalid Masud, overviewed the fifty-two years activities of the Institute in the field of Islamics. He also chalked out the future research plans of the Institute. Dr. Zafar Ishaq Ansari and Dr. Sher Muhammad Zaman, remembered the years they spent at the Institute. They also suggested some improvements in the working of the Institute. The Exhibition of Rare Books available at the Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah Library of the Institute was also a part of its Foundation Day Ceremony. Dr. Syed Ali Raza Naqvi a former senior scholar of the Institute (who was awarded with the Best Book of Iran last year on his commendable work entitled: Farhang-e-Jamie,” by the President of Islamic Republic of Iran) was given a souvenir. In recognition of the dedicated services rendered by some retired official of the Institute, were also awarded with shields. A ceremony cake was presented by Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad, President, IIUI and Executive Director of the Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue. Dr. Muhammad Khalid Masud in his concluding remarks thanked IRI, IIUI’s officials and works and media for their active cooperation in the foundation day ceremony.

The project went through a rigorous international peer-review process spanning over a year and a half. The project aims to strengthen the existing Advanced Electronics Laboratory in the university with the specific purpose of studying various scientific problems in next-generation micro-, nano- and opto-electronic devices and systems. The grant and scientific theme of the research is supported by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/University of California, Berkeley, USA as an IIU partner. Undergraduate and graduate students both in engineering and Allied sciences will be able to utilize these state of the art facilities in the laboratory. The project also aims to act as user facility within the scientific community by arranging reach-out sessions, national level workshops and training on the sophisticated equipments. The existing Advanced Electronics Laboratory at IIU is already equipped with state of the art electronic design tools. The IDB grant is the university’s first major research-specific award at international level and will open up avenues for further development in the area of scientific research.

The Rector and the President, IIU have congratulated the administrative and faculty team for writing a successful grant proposal and have termed this award as major achievement for the university. They have also thanked Prof. Dr. Javed Leghari and Prof. Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi, the Chairman and Executive Director, respectively, of HEC for their support in winning this grant.

Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik said that In fact it was a great honour for IIUI to have such great scholar in its Faculty. The main purpose to construct this seminar room is to develop various fields of research to achieve academic excellence in Islamic Studies. He further added that Islamic Studies must be taught in Urdu in order to understand the real messages of Islam and its teachings. He also announced that a Chair will be positioned in the name of Dr. Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi.

Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed, President, IIUI said that Dr. Ghazi was grand scholar and eminent Muslim thinker. The President acclaimed the affluent services of Dr Ghazi in research and his contribution towards higher education and analytical study of the religion. He said that he was a proponent of interfaith harmony and a brilliant academic who authored many books on different topics. Moreover he said that students of Islamic Studies must make a forum which should totally be embraced with intellectual discourses.

Dean, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Dr. Zafar Ullah Baig said that this seminar room is constructed to acknowledge the intellectual services of Dr. Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi. This seminar room is built on the purpose to organize conferences, seminars and workshops and it is open to all the Faculties of Female Campus for all intellectual discourses. Dr. Zaitoon Begum, Director (Female Campus), Dr. Sadia Tahir, Student Advisor (Female Campus), female faculty members and students were also present at inaugural ceremony.

The participants were of the view that Dawah Academy organized very productive programs and this training will improve and enhance the vision of the female writers to write for the betterment of the society. Later, the chief guest Justice Shehzad o Sheikh distributed certificates among the participants.

Prof. Malik said that media should be able to differentiate between national interest and interest of the government. Governments come and go but the nation stays and it have to stay, he said. He said reporting should not be conducted in such a way that harms national institution.

Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said media is in need of trained professionals. She said media organizations should concentrate on training of their staff. She said the government has been working on building a media university with the help of China. She said there are some “unguided missiles” in private TV channels which are dangerous for national interest. She said media institutions should also focus on training of students for disaster reporting.

She said IIUI is a distinct institution all over the country. She said the government will be happy to hold training for its students for disaster management at higher level so that media has trained man powers in the future. She said that she is hopeful that media will start playing a positive part in in nation building in near future. She said media in Pakistan is budding and at this early stage it is natural for it to err. She said the government is not in favor of restriction on media in any way.

She said media has every right to criticize any institution but it should not go to the extent of damaging institutions. She said some journalists have vested interests that clash with the national interests.

The following personalities have addressed to the seminar on the topic of “Media ethics in Disaster Reporting”: –

Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qadir, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority, Ahmad Barkat from Aljeera TV, Mateen Haider from Dawn News, Hassan Khan from Khyber TV, Shafqat Munir, Dr. Zafar Iqbal.

Acting Ambassador of Sudan in Pakistan said that specialized teachers can also be provided to IIU upon demand and announced five scholarships every year to the students of IIU to learn Arabic language in Sudan.

Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik, Rector IIUI welcomed the Honorable Chief Justice of Sudan at the new campus and acknowledged that the teachers from Sudan has played pivotal role to excel the Islamic education standards at IIUI. He said that IIU provide platform for the students of Islamic countries not only to achieve Islamic education but other disciplines as well.

Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad, President IIUI said that we have great respect for the people of Sudan because of their struggle for democracy & Islam. He said that there should be exchange of students between Sudan and Pakistan and asked the acting ambassador of Sudan in Pakistan to liaison with Government of Sudan to provide us few teachers to teach our students the subject of “Middle East History” at IIU.

Dr. Tahir Mansoori, Director General Shariah Academy briefed the delegation about IIU and faculty of Sharih & Law.

The delegation from Sudan led by Mr. Justice GALAL ELDEN MOHAMMED OSMAN GORESHI, the Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Courtof Sudan accompanied by the Honorable Chief Justice of the federal shariat court Pakistan Mr. Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan & other Judges visited the new and old campuses of the International Islamic University, Islamabad. The delegation called on Rector IIU, Professor Fateh Mohammad Malik and President IIU Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad and discussed various matters ofbilateral co-operation in the field of education & research. Acting Ambassador of Sudan in Pakistan and Judges from Federal Shariat Court Mr. Justice Dr. Fida Muhammad Khan and Justice Shahzado Shiekh, were also present on the occasion.

Later, the delegation visited Faisal Mosque Islamabad. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad President IIU presented IIU crests to the Honorable Chief Justice of Sudan and other participants of the delegation.

He said thousands of students of this university are availing themselves of accommodation facilities of the university and this new hostel will serve them more.

Congratulating the university administration upon the successful launch of the new hostel, Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik announced that more hostels will also be build for female students very soon. He said female students need hostels more than male students because parents want that their daughters stay in the university while perusing education. He said, “it saddens mean the most when I am told that many female students of remote areas failed to continue their studies due to lack of accommodation facilities in universities”.

IIUI Vice President Dr. Sahibzada Sajid ur Rehman, speaking on the occasion, said construction of this hostel was among his top priorities. He said credit for successful launch of this hostel goes to university officers and teachers. He said due to their hard work the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has ranked the IIUI as the 5th largest university of the country. He said that he hoped that in the next ranking of this HEC the IIUI will be on the top. He said the university administration has also constructed a new cricket ground for students so that they do not fall into counter-productive activities. He said a state-of-the-art cafeteria is also under construction for students and will be open this year. Deans of different faculties and university officers attended the event.

Discussing the importance of ‘International Women Day’ with Director Female Campus, Prof. Malik appreciated the efforts and enthusiastic approach of the female faculty members. Talking on the occasion, he said that the female academicians, Officers and staff Members of the university must endeavor to help him in elevating the quality education in university. He further added that honesty towards work plays a vital role in the development of any institution. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed, President IIUI and Dr. Sahibzada Sajid ur Rehman, Vice President (A&F) IIUI were also present on the occasion.

A high level delegation from International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad, President, IIU will attend this congress. Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad will also present key note address in the Congress.

In the concluding ceremony of the conference here at Faisal Mosque Campus of the university, foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar was the chief guest. renowned scholars from abroad and all over the country read their research papers in the concluding session.

Hina Rabbani Khar said in the days when Mughal dynasty was dying, in the sub-continent was contributing to the world GDP 25% and now the region’s share has dropped to less then two percent. She expressed satisfaction with the way the administration is taking the university up. She congratulated IIUI Rector Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik, President Dr.Mumtaz Ahmad, Vice President Sahibzada Sajid ur Rehman and organizers of the conference for making the event a success.

Dr. Grace Clark from F.G College University, Lahore also thanked Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad for organizing the event.

In Session I, Dr. Waseem Anwar spoke on ‘South Asian / Pakistani literary forms in English’, Dr. John Caldwell spoke on ‘ Pakistani music’, Afroz Taj spoke on ‘ Teaching Pakistani culture in the U.S. through TV dramas and films’, Dr. Masood Raja spoke on ‘Pakistaniaat: The struggles and rewards of launching an academic journal’ and Dr. Munazza Yaqoob spoke on ‘ Development of critical consciousness in women: A Critical review of contemporary fiction in English by South Asian women writers’,

In Session II, Dr. Jeff Redding spoke on ‘Conceptions of gender and identity involved in the supreme court’s decision on transgendered persons’, Kashif Sherwani spoke on ‘Dr. Fazal ur Rehman State relationship in Pakistan’, Mary Linda Armacost spoke on ‘ Higher education in Pakistan’, Arsalan Khan spoke on ‘Liberal secularism in Pakistan’, PhD Scholar of Duke University and Mashal Saif spoke on ‘The ‘Ulama navigating the political: Post-9/11 contestations over tradition and authority in Pakistan’,

In Session III, Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais spoke on ‘Settling the long war: Pakistan and the Afghan Endgame’, Dr. Hafeez Malik spoke on ‘Pakistan’s relations with Iran’ and Dr. Noor Fatima spoke on ‘Neoliberalism and challenges for developing world’

In the end Rector IIUI Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik presented souvenirs to honourable guests.

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In inaugural ceremony of the conference on Tuesday here at Faisal Mosque Campus of the university, renowned scholars from abroad and all over the country read their research papers in three sessions. IIUI Rector Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik presided over the opening ceremony in which IIUI students from over 20 countries demonstrated their culture and traditional dresses on stage.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad, the IIUI President, said that to speak of the South Asian region alone would essentially be to speak of everything and nothing at the same time. The region is a treasure trove for a scholar – be it history, culture, religion, politics, the arts or the economy. This vast geographical expanse lends itself to a multitude of interpretations and analyses. He said as we seek to unravel the problems of Pakistan, we learn that its past, present and future are intrinsically linked with that of its wider regions, both South Asia and West Asia.

He said Prof. Malik has just published a wonderful short piece highlighting this unique configuration that constitutes Pakistan’s political and cultural identity. Even an exclusive focus on Pakistan is not sustainable through one particular prism, since all lenses shatter in the sheer diversity that these regions inhabit. He said Islam in this region can be looked at from many different perspectives, and this conference will strive to open up new avenues of thought and perspectives. As Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik has clearly shown in his writings over the years, to draw arbitrary distinctions between literature, culture, politics, art and spiritual trends is to rob the rich tradition that expresses itself in South Asian Islam. Thus, the objective of the conference is to broaden the ways in which we view events and developments in Pakistan.

The impact of the September 11 attacks and the subsequent War on Terror also cannot be ignored in any discussion on Islam and Pakistan today. While the so-called War on Terror can be clearly seen on the political and military the press. Here is what I wrote to her: “Don’t give credence to ex-ambassador; they may not have succeeded in making the countries they served as dangerous as they wanted them to be. Come and I will buy you a rug from Peshawar.” She probably decided to buy the rug from a more peaceful country such as Afghanistan.

He said that this conference is about Pakistan & Islam in the context of South Asia and its neighbouring countries. Nevertheless, this conference is neither an exercise in regional studies nor is it a strictly religious gathering. As I look around me I see a gathering which is both truly comparative and interdisciplinary.

He further said that globalization is another major theme of this conference. The muslim world has come into direct contact with globalization and its pervasive effects. This interaction is not a one-sided one; while the Muslim world feels the transformative effects of globalizing pulls, the “global” is equally affected by the dynamism of the Muslim world. It would be, therefore, a grave error on our part of ignore the trends, nuances and dynamic forces of the Muslim world, especially unleashed by the “Arab Spring,” emergence of Turkey as a major Middle Eastern & Central Asian actor, and re-democratization of Pakistan. All theses development have important transformative effects on the global stage.

Globalization is a trend towards a world with more common ground, and while this might seem a distant utopia given the current problems we are faced with, the seeds of a world with more cooperation and understanding have been sown. The process is irreversible. It is initiatives such as this conference that seek to bridge the largely artificial gap between the Muslim world and the West in order to foster mutually beneficial relations and to participate in a common struggle for a more just World Order.

• Dr. Grace Clark, of FC College University, Lahore, spoke on ‘Sliding Towards Religious Cleaning’.
• Danish Faruqi spoke on ‘Spiritual Reformist Thought of the Amir Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza’iri’.
• Theodore Wright, Prof. Emeritus of Political Science, in the State University of New York at Albany, spoke on ‘Indian Muslims and the Riot-Free Peace since 2002; How to Explain and What to Predict?’
• Husnul Amin, PhD, spoke on ‘Preaching Non-Violence in a Conflict Situation: The Case of a Post-Islamist Public Intellectual – Dr. Farooq Khan’.
• Dr. Safeer Awan, Student advisor (male), IIUI spoke on ‘Islamotopia versus Islamophobia: A comparative Study of Abu Bakr Naji’s The Management of Saaery, Anders breivik;s A European Declaration of Independence, and Abu Mus’ab al-Suri’s The Global Islamic Resistance Call’.
• Nasir Jamal Khattak spoke on ‘Perceptin and “Perceptions: Shapping and Re-Shapping of Pashtun Identity’.
• Nukhba Luna spoke on ‘Post-colonialism, Pakistan and the Muslim World’.
• Charles Kennedy spoke on ‘Islaization of the Federal Shariat and RE-Discovery of Judicial Activism’.
• Razia Sultana from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad spoke on ‘Mainstreaming of women in the Pakhtun Society: Challenges and prospects’ and
• Ejaz Akram spoke on ‘(Re) Imagining he (Trans) Nation of Pakistan: Normative Notions and Dreams of Pakistaniat’.

IIUI President said political Islam has of late become an issue of controversy. The reason being that much as it tries to raise the banner of a modern Islamic State, it has been unable to escape the inevitable collateral of the modern age, violence and aggression in the civil society. Since political llam or Islamism does not and cannot contain the diversity and plurality of thought within its limited scope, there are a number of alternative perspectives on how to bring reform.

This session, whose theme is Contested Perspectives on Political Islam: Violence and Reform, will address this issue. The chair for this session is Senator prof. Khurshid Ahmad. There will be a discussion session of around 45 minutes, towards the end and the participants are encouraged to raise questions and give their opinions.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said Muslim rulers have failed to maintain virtues of Islam, and Muslims should now work harder to face the truth. He praised Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy for winning the first Oscar Award in Pakistan.

The scholars speaking at the conference would be talking about issues related to Islam. Culture, politics, economy and society in the context of Pakistan, South Asia and other Muslim societies. It is obvious the Pakistan cannot be seen in isolation from its South Asian geo-strategic location and associated historical, linguistic, cultural and geographical influences. Islam is one of the major religions in the region alongside Hinduism, Buddhism and other faith systems.

This inter-disciplinary conference will provide a valuable platform to analyze the diversity of Muslim life in Pakistan, South Asia, Central Asia and South East Asia. It seeks to explore critical challenges related to history, politics, society, economics, arts, culture and other dynamics that play a critical role in Muslim communities of South Asia and neighboring regions. The conference will bring together scholars from major universities of USA and Pakistan, who specialize in diverse disciplines, to share ideas and engage in discussions related to the region and its significance in today’s world.

In addition, the conference will address the significance of the South Asian region and its neighbours with Muslim societies in recent years. The conference will address how Islam has been stereotyped in the wake of 9/11 and how its rich and complex nuances have been reduced, erased and forgotten systematically in the neo-orientalist discourse emerging from a variety of disciplines. It will also look at how some in the Muslim world have also eliminated nuances and a rich tradition of diversity in Islam. It will critically reassess and re-evaluate the traditional binary division of the world between Islam and the rest of the world. Furthermore, it will address the factors that produce religious extremism and violence and will also attempt to identify the key cleavages and fault lines along sectarian, ethnic, regional and national lines, particularly in the context of South Asia and its neighboring Muslim societies.

The conference will analyze the social, political and economic transformation of Muslim societies in an increasingly
globalized world. It will address the impact on Muslim societies of technological advancements, urbanization, literacy and media. It will endeavour to discover how a mutual cooperation can be achieved, between an technologically advanced Western world and Muslim societies in South Asia and its neighbours, for mutual benefits and for the evolution of a peaceful world.

The conference would mainly focus on the following areas: –

1-Political, economic and social relations within and between South Asia and the rest of the Muslim world., 2-Political, economic, social and philosophical movements within Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world., 3-The impact of globalization on Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world., 4-Religious minorities in the Muslim world and Muslims as minority groups.

Renowned American and Pakistani academicians/scholars would present papers on the general theme/sub-theme of the conference that will be attended by intellectuals, policy makers, representatives of civil society, faculty members, research students of the International Islamic University, Islamabad and F.C College University, Lahore.

This competition held in NUST, Islamabad, Discover – Prime Minister entrepreneurial Challenge 2011. Students who are participated included Imran Khizar, Sami-ur-Rehman, Naveed Ilyas, Numair Nisar, Muhammad Mubeen Sarwar. This team of 5 students won Rs.20,000/- from “Discover-NUST” Competition. The rector of the university, Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik and the President Sahibzada Sajid ur Rehman congratulated students for their brilliant performance. On this occasion, the worthy rector and President IIUI announced Rs. 20,000/- cash prize on behalf of IIUI. It would be pertinent to mention here that the same team also represented IIUI in IBA, Karachi “Invent-2011” competition and qualified to round 3 and won Rs. 25,000/-.