Since 2003, the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy (ICRD) has been working with leaders of Pakistani madrasas (Islamic religious schools) to provide improved education and moral guidance for madrasa students. Specifically, the goals are to:

  1. expand madrasa curriculums to include the scientific and social disciplines, with a special emphasis on religious tolerance and human rights (especially women's rights);
  2. transform the pedagogy to promote critical thinking skills among the students;
  3. teach students dialogue facilitation and conflict resolution skills; and
  4. equip newly-trained teachers with the skills necessary to train other madrasa leaders in these same areas.
 

Two influential madrasa leaders who have taken a courageous leadership role in promoting peace and tolerance in Pakistani madrasas will speak about their efforts to secure a better future for the children of Pakistan and to enhance global peace and security. Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh, a prominent Wahhabi leader and Chairman of Muslim Christian Federation International, and Hafiz Khalil Ahmed, an influential Deobandi madrasa leader, will describe their work, in partnership with ICRD, to promote educational enhancement in Pakistani madrasas and faith-based reconciliation as a path to peace.

Speakers

  • Qazi Abdul Qadeer Khamosh
    Muslim Christian Federation International
  • Hafiz Khalil Ahmed
    Deobandi Madrasa
  • Azhar Hussain
    International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
  • Douglas Johnston, Discussant
    International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
  • Qamar-ul Huda, Moderator
    U.S. Institute of Peace

 

Archived Audio

To listen to audio or to view video, please click on the links provided below. You also can right click on the links and choose "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File." This will save the file to your computer and then allow you to play it in your media player directly. More Audio Help.

Related Publications

Toward a Durable India-Pakistan Peace: A Roadmap through Trade

Toward a Durable India-Pakistan Peace: A Roadmap through Trade

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Despite a three-year long cease-fire along their contested border, trade and civil society engagement between India and Pakistan has dwindled, exacerbating the fragility of their relationship. With recently re-elected governments now in place in both countries, there is a window of opportunity to rekindle trade to bolster their fragile peace, support economic stability in Pakistan, create large markets and high-quality jobs on both sides, and open doors for diplomatic engagement that could eventually lead to progress on more contentious issues.

Type: Analysis

Economics

How Have India’s Neighbors Reacted to Its Election?

How Have India’s Neighbors Reacted to Its Election?

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Narendra Modi was sworn in on June 9 for his third consecutive term as India’s prime minister. Public polls had predicted a sweeping majority for Modi, so it came as some surprise that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost ground with voters and had to rely on coalition partners to form a ruling government. Although India’s elections were fought mainly on domestic policy issues, there were important exceptions and Modi’s electoral setback could have implications for India’s regional and global policies.

Type: Analysis

Global Elections & ConflictGlobal Policy

What Does Further Expansion Mean for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?

What Does Further Expansion Mean for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Last week, foreign ministers from member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan. The nine-member SCO — made up of China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — represents one of the largest regional organizations in the world. And with the SCO’s annual heads-of-state summit slated for early July, the ministers’ meeting offers an important glimpse into the group’s priorities going forward. USIP’s Bates Gill and Carla Freeman examine how regional security made its way to the top of the agenda, China’s evolving role in Central Asia and why SCO expansion has led to frustrations among member states.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

View All Publications