Peshawar bards welcome New Year with interfaith spirit
Sher Alam Shinwari
PESHAWAR: Noted poets have urged for mutual harmony at a poetry session held here on the other day at Saint Michael Catholic Church, Peshawar Cantt.
Around 20 Hindko and Urdu poets from Lahore, Islamabad, Kohat, Nowshera and Peshawar participated in the poetry recital conducted under the auspices the National Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism.
The crux of the event was that minorities were quite safe in Pakistan especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and enjoyed full rights and that such events would further bring communities together for deeper mutual understanding.
Nazeer Qaiser, a senior guest-poet and author of several books from Lahore recited beautiful poems advocating hospitality and natural beauty of Peshawar city and stressed the need for perpetuating such functions. He presided over the event.
Reverend Father Suhail Patrick, chief organizer in his remarks said that the message of the Christmas always meant to bring humanity closer for the cause of peace. He stated that such events motivated the spirit of good feelings among the masses.
Poets read out poems depicting mutual respect and harmony and also heralded with well-crafted poetic images. Most bards highlighted their feelings laden with the spirit of national unity and respect. They expressed that new year should bring more love, respect and mutual understanding.
Jamil Siraj, noted poet moderated the poetry session in a befitting manner as the hall echoed with accolades of praise as poets shared creative images blended in romance, love and tinge for peace.
The aim of the bilingual poetry session was to spread interfaith harmony, mutual respect and universal brotherhood towards building a peaceful society. Poets advocated national cohesion, peace narrative and the spirit of humanism through their beautiful poetic pieces.
Opening the poetry recitation session, Jamshid Thomas, Member of National Assembly said that minorities enjoyed full freedom and respect in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in the country at large, adding that poets and writer should further promote the cause of national integration and unity through such events.
Addressing as the chief guest at the function, Mr. Thomas was pleased to see that poets welcomed the New Year with a spirit of interfaith harmony and close understanding, he said no religion encouraged hatred rather every religion taught universal brotherhood, mutual respect and coexistence.
Noted Urdu poet, Prof Nasir Ali Syed on the occasion said that such events were reflective of pluralistic approach towards minorities and communities which could help in furtherance the message of a peace loving society, adding that guest-poets from other cities enlivened the occasion of togetherness of literati. Poets, he said were the best promoters of humanistic causes and could best perpetuate it through their measured words.
“We must strive for unity, and especially poets being the best promoters to advocate the cause of inter religious dialogue as debate helps us to strengthen mutual understanding and it takes ahead good feelings for one another. All forms of fine arts, including poetic expressions further deepen these mutual ties and it should be continued in future as well,” he stressed.
Shahid Zaman, Syed Zubair Shah, Dr Shahida Sardar and Father Patrick were among the noted poets who received a thunderous applause from the audience.
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