Extremism can be countered through tolerance, book reading: Javed Jabbar

“The curriculum taught in universities and other educational institutions and the books recommended to students should teach them tolerance.”

These views were expressed by former Senator Javed Jabbar in a guest speaker session titled ‘Intolerance and its impact on youth and Pakistani Society. How to tackle the menace of narrow-mindedness, bigotry, and white-collar crime in Pakistan?’ held at Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU).

The guest speaker session was attended by the registrar, deans, heads of different faculties, and students.

Addressing the participants, the ex-Senator Javed Jabbar said that reading good books and quality content can eliminate extremism.

He added, “You are the students of an esteemed institution where history is dripping, which is the alma mater of Quaid-e-Azam. In Pakistan, 20 million children do not attend school; you are fortunate to enter higher education institutes.”

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“We were ranked 146th out of 180 countries in the Human Development Index which is a measure of population, education, health, women’s rights, and access to fundamental rights,” Jabbar said, “which is an embarrassment for Pakistan.”

Highlighting extremism, he said it could be positive too such as the extremes of etiquette like respect for teachers, elders and women. He expressed, “When extremism is positive, it does not have an element of selfishness, but if the same extremism becomes negative, it does not get out of the selfishness.”

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In response to a question, he said that universities could play a supporting role in controlling extremism.

Recalling the Peshawar University incident, he said, “I don’t remember any extremist incident ever happening at SMIU. It is the responsibility of all to control the growing extremism in universities.”

Speaking on the occasion, SMIU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Mujeebuddin Sahrai Memon said that extremism was not just a problem of Pakistan but the whole world, and everybody was required to play their role to deal with it.

“The world has become a global village but the pathetic thing is how we are treating it, it is a serious tragedy that due to humans and their attitudes, climate change is taking place,” said Dr Sahrai.

At the end of the session, the VC presented a bouquet and shield to Javed Jabbar.