Art has a pivotal role in uplifting the society by increasing empathy, critical thinking and tolerance as according to progressive values.
The views were expressed in a dialogue and performance session attended by publisher/ director of Adab Festival, Ameena Saiyid OBE, S.I, academician and director Adab Festival Dr. Asif Farrukhi, poet Nasira Zubairi and artist Rustam Khan, on Friday.
Dr. Asif Farrukhi said that book reading is essential for a strong society which cannot be swayed away by extremism, but added that it’s sad to note that the state of Pakistan does not really encourage book reading or prioritize the arts.
“The education system we have is creating a mob, which let alone making a good artist, is not even capable of producing a good reader,” he said while addressing the participants, “the artist doesn’t have the resources to reach out to the society to give their message.”
He said that young people have a thirst for the arts and to showcase it but if one does not allow them to showcase it, they have the potential to go towards negativity.
Poet Nasira Zubairi demanded that an emergency must be imposed in the country against the prevalent intolerance, adding that the hate present on social media is quite concerning for the artists.
“We have to make people realize that dissent is not wrong or unpatriotic in civilized societies. The language on social media is troubling to say the least. We have to urge people in power and with influence to teach tolerance and acceptance in soft tone.”
Ameena Saiyid said that literature festivals in the country allow people to revive the message of tolerance and peace. She said that though arts and culture have a profound impact on the society, we have to make sure that our arts do not showcase further ills, such as internalizing misogyny or patriarchy.
Media Baithak serves as a community space for the cultural engagement of media and civil society representatives. It gives a platform to distinguished voices from the fields of journalism, politics, academia and other fields to discuss contemporary issues of the society.
The organization has previously conducted sessions on the role of poetry in combating violent extremism, women empowerment, the role of qawwali in promoting positive values, journalists’ training on social media and the role of media in spreading peace and harmony in the society.
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