Fear of God

Staff Report, *Sufi council, academy merging* - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Saturday, July 18, 2009

Islamabad: National Sufi Council (NSC) is legacy of a dictator like former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf and it should immediately be merged into Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), said PAL Chairman Fakhar Zaman on Friday while presiding over the ‘Khawaja Ghulam Farid Conference’.

He said PAL had been working on different projects regarding promotion of teachings and writings of Sufis and has translated Sufi poetry into seven international languages. Shahzad Qaiser and Khawaja Moeenuddin Koreja were the chief guests.

Prof Khawaja Masud, Dr Ghazanfar Mehdi, Prof Hameedullah Hashmi, Sarwat Mohiyuddin and Wafa Chishti also spoke on the occasion. The proceedings were conducted by Wafa Chishti.Zaman demanded that administration of shrines of Sufis should be put under jurisdictions of PAL and funds at the disposal of Auqaf Department regarding shrines be transferred to PAL so that it can publish Sufi poetry and hold conferences.

He emphasised that promotion of Sufism was a need of time to end extremism, bigotry and promote peace and love. He said PAL would organise an international conference next year on the occasion of Urs of Khawaja Ghulam Farid.

Shahzad Qaiser said Khawaja Ghulam Farid’s poetry brought out new aspects of literature of fear of God.

Khawaja Moeenuddin Koreja said that Khawaja Ghulam Farid’s teaching focused on humanism.

“He wanted to promote love, unity and equality among human beings,” he said. Prof Khawaja Masood said Sufi poets always tried to promote humanism in the region and their teachings still needed to be spread.