Religion being misinterpreted
HT Correspondent
Allahabad, November 18
FORMER DEAN of the BHU School of Law Prof RP Dhokalia on Saturday said that religion was being misinterpreted to promote fundamentalism.
He said, “The essence of every religion is love, and the goal of education should be the transformation of human mind.”
He was addressing a seminar on ‘Changing faces of Terrorism to Religious Fundamentalism’ organised by the Allahabad Chapter of the International Law Association, regional branch, India, at Judge Guest House.
He said cause of terrorism was hatred and injustice and added that the function of the law was to see that justice was delivered.
Elaborating his view, Prof Dhokalia said symbiosis of modernity and spiritualism with proper education could produce enlightened citizens.
“The release of spiritual energy of man will work for the betterment of humanity and liberate him from political and moral anarchy, violence and terrorism.”
Terming India as laboratory of diversity, Prof Dhokalia said, “Whole humanity is one and all religions give the message of love,” he said.
Speaking on ‘International Terrorism: A Quest for Legal Controls’, Prof VS Mani, director, Gandhinagar National Law Univesity, Gandhinagar, Gujarat narrated the development of laws and steps taken by the United Nations to check international terrorism.
Prof BC Nirmal of the Banaras Hindu University also delivered lecture on ‘International Terrorism’.
In his presidential address, the Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice AN Ray said terrorism was not an isolated act, it was a situation of the world where wars were permitted against a nation. “One should know what is one’s legal and philsophical support if one wants to get rid of terrorism,” Justice Ray said.
Earlier, former chairman of Bar Council of UP Shashi Kant Gupta introduced the guest speakers.
Delivering the keynote address, Justice BS Chauhan, executive chairman of ILA said there should be continuous dialogue to find out root cause of terrorism.
Advocate General SMA Kazmi objected to the use of word Islamic terrorism. Quoting the Holy Quran, he said Islam never taught killing of innocent people.
“Call the terrorists as criminals, but don’t term them as Islamic as by giving this you are strengthening them and embarrassing crores of Muslims.”
Citing several examples, Kazmi said that the West, too, was responsible for fanning terrorism. Justice Dilip Gupta delivered the welcome address.