TOP LEFT
TOP LEFT Home Search Feedback
Archive: 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

History Events Photo Gallery Branches Contacts Links
The Muslim World


Seminar on migrants in Asia and role of Religion organized by A.C.R.P. Seoul Peace education center held at Chereville paradise hotel in Yangpyeong South Korea from 21st Oct to 24th Oct, 2013

We highly value the initiative taken by A.C.R.P. Seoul Peace Education Centre for organizing this seminar. The topic chosen is very pertinent and the participants can make valuable contribution and put forward suggestions for resolving the challenges faced by migrants in the receiving countries.

The world population has crossed seven billions and the birth rate is very high in developing countries. Sizeable portion of their population is living below the poverty line. Due to non industrialization and lack of job opportunities there is influx of people from there to developed countries in search of employment in order to earn means of livelihood for themselves and their families. Some times these migrants adopt illegal means for migration and face insurmountable difficulties. Human trafficking has become a flourishing business for some agents. They get huge amount from poor people who sell the properties and make payment to these agents with the hope of getting better prospects of earning in the receiving countries.

The women and children also become victims of these agents. Those migrating through illegal ways sometimes are drowned in sea when their boats are capsized and some are arrested and sent behind the bars. If the wealthy people from developed countries invest their capital in the developing countries, it will create job opportunities for people in their respective countries and the investors would get cheap labour.

The migrants who come through legal means and routes also face many difficulties like language, lack of knowledge of local culture, traditions and religion. It takes time for adaptability and settling down. Difficulties have salutary effect on life, allowing us to move on the path of improvement. It provides us with an opportunity to go through intense introspection enabling us to reform our attitude and behavior. A reasonable person adapts himself to circumstances. Every adversity carries seeds of success and these bear fruit only after a designed process of maturity and forbearance.

The migrants must have the knowledge of local customs and religion and should not violate their norms and should respect it. On the contrary the local people should allow the migrants to follow their own religions and practice their customs. Both the segments of population must have interaction and should be adjustable, flexible and adaptable. One must accept difference of opinion and divergent views. Frequent interaction and learning the language will bring them both closer.

The local people should not consider migrants inferior and give them due respect.

There are different types of migrants, the job seekers, and refuges. The latter have fled from their respective countries leaving their homes and hearths under duress and compulsion. No body leaves his / her home happily. Some times these people live in camps for generations and face insurmountable difficulties as they are driven away from their countries either by invaders or usurpers. It is human tragedy that millions of refugees are living in other countries in sub human conditions and they are denied entry to their own countries.

On 24-09-2013 his holiness Pope Francis called on countries to protect migrants, condemning the treatment of refugees as mere “Pawns on the chessboard of humanity”. He said the countries should co-operate on the broad adoption of policies and rules aimed at protecting and promoting the human person. His holiness said it in a message for the world Day of migrants and refugees. The message is hereby reproduced in juxta position.

“Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity they are children, women, and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes. The situation in which the migration is propelled by human trafficking and enslavement is to be slammed. Nowadays slave labour is a common coin.”

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that eight hundred thousand people are trafficked across International borders annually, with many more trafficked within the border of their own countries.

The observation of his holiness needs consideration and the problem needs solution. In some countries the immigrants are treated as slaves. They are forced to work for long hours with less wages. There are cases of molestation of female folk and boys in some countries. It needs reformation. For the alleviation of suffering of such people a peace corps of prudent persons is needed who can serve as liaison between the local employers and immigrant workers / employees. This corps can serve as bridge between the two segments and resolve the issues on humanitarian basis within the frame work of the law of the land. The spirit of human brotherhood should prevail upon personal whims and aggrandizement. Let every one among us shoulder this responsibility for creating a congenial atmosphere and better relations between both the classes.

I congratulate the office bearers and members of A.C.R.P. Seoul Peace Education Centre for holding this seminar and inviting the versatile speakers to share their valuable views with the participants and give us a guide line to tackle the issues of immigrants / migrants and create friendly atmosphere between local people and migrants.

I would be failing in my duty if I do not pay rich tributes to Honourable Dr. Sunggon Kim, Secretary General of A.C.R.P. for his relentless efforts and continuous struggle for establishing A.C.R.P. Seoul Peace Education Centre. He was the pioneer of this idea. He deserves big applaud. I wish him great success and am confident that under his able leadership, the Seoul Peace Education Centre will achieve the noble objectives for which it is formed / created.

MIR NAWAZ KHAN MARWAT)

Back