Post Workshops 2017

Rationale

Sustainability and continuity are key aspects of the Religious Pluralism project. Therefore every workshop held in Erfurt is followed up by a workshop to be organised by the madrasa-participants of Erfurt workshops in their own institutions in Pakistan. This exercise in cultural translation is of immense importance, as these follow-up workshops bear the potential to put into praxis the knowledge acquired in Germany. The follow-up workshops encourage madrasa students (who have attended the Erfurt University workshops) to organise the venues and decide upon the resource persons and trainers, in collaboration with the principals of their host institutions. The organisers not only improve their interpersonal, organizational and leadership skills by shaping a professional workshop but also extend benefit to their peer groups by sharing the experiences made in Germany, discussing cultural and social similarities and dissimilarities and above all education standards, learning methodologies and didactics pursued in western academic tradition. The medium of instruction in all follow-up workshops is Urdu language in order to ensure and encourage the maximum participation and student outreach. The Chair of Muslim Cultural & Religious History, University of Erfurt (CMCRH) extends its full support in organising these workshops. Preparatory sessions held during the workshops in Erfurt, thus, provided vital organisational details help prepare students to conduct a follow-up workshop. Similarly, all organisers were required to regularly inform about their preparatory progress with the project’s steering committee and regional resource persons. The first follow-up workshop on the topic of Historiography were held from 2-7 October, 2016.

'Human Rights & Contribution of Religions' Workshops in Pakistan (21-29 October, 2017)

The two day follow-up workshops was on the topic of 'Human Rights & Contribution of Religions' took place from 21-29 October, 2017 in three Pakistani madrasas namely:

  • 21 - 22 October, 2017, 1st Workshop (female students), Jamia Binoria, Karachi
  • 23 – 24 October, 2017, 2nd Workshop (male students), Jamia Binoria, Karachi
  • 25 – 26 October, 2017, 3rd Workshop (male/female students), Jamia Naeemia, Lahore
  • 28 – 29 October, 2017, 4th Workshop (male students) , Jamia Alkauthar, Islamabad

These four follow-up workshops were held under the aegis and auspices of the CMCRH as an integral and extended part of the Summer School "Human Rights & Contribution of Religions" held in Erfurt from 09-18 July, 2017. The workshop conducted in Erfurt focused on how “world religions” have influenced and inspired values of social justice, human rights and peace ethics. Different theoretical perspectives were discussed to study the entanglement of cultural, historical, political, ethnic and of course religious factors that contribute to the recognition and implementation of universal human rights. With the help of comparative religious narratives, this workshop attempted to go beyond the time, when Christianity, Judaism and Islam predominantly defined and promulgated the ethical and moral fabric (also) in post-colonial societies in order to expound the problem of the validity of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, adopted by the United Nations in 1948).

Best Workshop / Evaluation

To encourage and incentivize the organisers (madrasa students) of follow-up workshops, all four events were professionally evaluated in order to decide the best performance. A professional consultant from Pakistan with expertise in monitoring and evaluation was tasked to conduct the evaluation of all the four workshops at the above-mentioned cities. The evaluator attended a day each in every workshop in order to conduct pre- and post-evaluations in those madrasas.

Results of the Evaluation:

Based on careful assessment by the monitoring and evaluation expert, following positions were given to the participating institutions.

  • 1st Position: male/female students from Jamia Naeemia (Lahore), Jamia Sirajia Naeemia (Lahore), Jamia Nizamia Rizvia (Sheikhupura), venue: Jamia Naeemia (Lahore)    
  • 2nd Position: female students from Jamia Binoria (Karachi), Islamic University International (Karachi), venue: Jamia Binoria (Karachi)    
  • 3rd Position: Male students from Jamia Alkauthar (Islamabad), Darulum Muhammadia Ghosia (Bhera), Darulum Haqqania (Akora Khatak), Jamia Salfia (Faisalabad), venue: Jamia Alkauthar (Islamabad)
  • 4th Position: Male students from: Jamia Binoria (Karachi), Darulum Naeemia (Karachi), venue: Jamia Binoria (Karachi)    

Monitoring and Evaluation Considerations

While compiling the results, the monitoring and evaluation expert considered following aspects:

  • Workshop execution as advertised
  • Workshop management
  • Organisers’ coordination
  • Time management
  • Instructor/Participant interaction
  • Lecture content and focus
  • Room for discussion and debate
  • Methodology

Human Rights workshop in Jamia Binoria, Karachi (21 – 22 October, 2017)

  • Organisers: Zaib Kiran Sheikh and Nawal Tariq (Jamia Binoria, Karachi), Fatima Munir, Warda Naz (Islamic University International, Karachi)
  • Venue: Jamia Binoria, Karachi
  • Number of Participants: 27 female students (Jamia Binoria and Islamic University International, Karachi) 
  • Principal: Mufti Naeem 

Topics Covered

  • History of Human Rights, Speaker: Advocate Muhammad Tahir Iqbal
  • Minority Rights in Muslim and non-Muslim societies, Speaker: Usman Jami
  • World peace and role of Islam, SPeaker: Dr. Malik Awan
  • Equality of men and women, Freedom and role of human rights and Philosophy of human rights, Student Presentations

Human Rights workshop in Jamia Binoria, Karachi, (23 – 24 October, 2017)

  • Organisers: Sohail Ahmad (Jamia Binoria), Sajjad ur Rehman Minhas (Darulum Naeemia, Karachi)
  • Venue: Jamia Binoria, Karachi
  • Number of Participants: 14 male students (Jamia Binoria, Karachi)
  • Principal: Mufti Naeem 

Topics Covered 

  • Human Rights in Progress, Speaker: Younus Alam
  • Construction of Humanity, Speaker: Khwaja Aslam
  • Equality, Speaker: Mufti Muhammad Asif Rao
  • Status of Women in Islam, Speaker: Aziz-ur-Rehman Azeemi
  • Equality and Peace, Citizen and Human Rights, Advantage and disadvantages of Freedom and Equality and Human Rights in Madaris Educational System, Student Presentations

Human Rights workshop in Jamia Naeemia, Lahore (25 – 26 October, 2017)

  • Organisers: Shoaib Raza (Jamia Naeemia, Lahore), Nisar Fatima and Iqra Riaz (Jamia Sirajia, Naeemia), Mashal Amber (Jamia Nizamia Rizvia, Sheikhupura)
  • Venue: Dr. Sarfraz Naeemi, Research Institute for Peace (Jamia Naeemia, Lahore)
  • Number of Participants: 29 male and female students, Lahore: Jamia Naeemia, Jamia tul Zahraa, Markaz Ibn-e-Masood Al-islamia, Jamia Sarajia Naeemia, Sheikhupura: Jamia Nizamia Rizvia, Mansoora: Jamia tul Muhsanaat
  • Principal: Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi
     

Topics Covered 

  • Origin of Human Rights in Islam, Speaker: Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi
  • Globalization and its impact on Human Rights, Speaker: Dr. Zikria Zakar
  • Women Rights and equality in 21st century, Speaker: Dr. Shaheeda Perveen
  • Human Rights & contribution of Religions, Speaker: Dr. Mehboob Ahmad
  • Comparison of rights through Islamic and Western perspective, Minority rights in the light of Islam and Pakistani constitution, World charter of human rights, Student Presentations

Human Rights workshop in Jamia Alkauthar, Islamabad (28 – 29 October, 2017)

  • Organisers: Amir Hussain (Jamia Alkauthar, Islamabad), Mehboob Ahmad (Darulum Haqqania, Akora Khattak), Khizar Iqbal (Darulum Muhammadia Ghosia, Bhera), Aurang Zaib (Jamia Salfia, Faisalabad)
  • Venue: Jamia Alkauthar, Islamabad
  • Number of Participants: 26 male students from Jamia Alkauthar (Islamabad), Darulum Haqqania (Akora Khattak) Darulum Muhammadia Ghosia (Bhera), Jamia Salfia (Faisalabad)
  • Principal: Muhammad Ishaq Najafi

Topics Covered 

  • Human Rights in Progress, Speaker: Younus Alam
  • Construction of Humanity, Speaker: Khwaja Aslam
  • Equality, Speaker: Mufti Muhammad Asif Rao
  • Status of Women in Islam, Speaker: Aziz-ur-Rehman Azeemi
  • Equality and Peace, Citizen and Human Rights, Advantage and disadvantages of Freedom and Equality, Human Rights in Madaris Educational System, Student Presentations

End Note

It was among the first instances that madrasa students who attended academic workshops in a western education system, in this case the CMCRH, had an opportunity to conduct similar workshops in their own institutions by their own. Most of the participating students experienced the event as extremely helpful and considered such an exercise as academically and socially stimulating. For most of the madrasa students it was also the first time to co-interact with academicians of mainstream universities in their own madrasas. Similarly, the one-on-one interactive discussion with the CMCRH, Prof. Dr. Jamal Malik also provided them with a unique opportunity of learning among others, religious and Islamic studies through a different academic tradition.