Alliance of civilisation and culture stressed

Pakistan and Turkey should take mutual steps to build an strong alliance of civilisation and cultures between the countries, Engin Soysal, Turkish Ambassador, said at a seminar on Saturday. The seminar held at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) titled 'Resonance between the East and the West.'
Highlighting the geo-strategic importance of both the countries the ambassador suggested that Pakistan and Turkey had significant young population that can be used effectively to meet successfully all challenges of contemporary period. The ambassador was, in fact, reproducing the idea of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had already shared his idea of "Alliance for Cultures and Civilisation" during his speech delivered at the Madrid Conference in 2005.
He added such steps would promote tolerance among people from diverse cultures and civilisation, hence, they would learn to live with peace and amity with one another.
In this regard, Soysal also brought in the subject of Turkey's pending application for EU membership, which is primarily aimed at changing the shape of Euro-centric.
With regard to EU membership he pointed out that if Turkey is conceded the member of EU it would help shift the whole paradigm of dividing the world to mutually exclusive conceit of East and West.
AIOU vice-chancellor, Dr Butt, advised everyone to seek inspiration from the teachings of the Sufis like, Hazrat Jalaluddin Rumi, the mystic saint of Konya, which could bring drastic change in attitudes that eventually may lead to develop tolerance, peace, love etc.
In his keynote address, Dr Anis Ahmad said the present this is need of hour to root out the existing misconception about Islamic ideas and only mutual efforts could help eradicate Islamic phobia among non Muslims by portraying the true essence of Islam.
'We measure time in terms of Greenwich standard and divide the world in the distance found between Paris and other cities, and describe Muslims as people with abundant resources but without power to control their resources.'
He stressed on Muslims to change their out look towards West shade their all doubts that Muslims' ethos were being categorised into negative terms. Dr Anis Ahmad suggested the two sides must open a dialogue between each other in a spirit of utter frankness without hiding facts from each other.