Freedom & Economics Seminar | Ghazni
The series of Freedom & Economics Seminars organized by the Afghanistan Economic & Legal Studies Organization (AELSO) in collaboration with Khatam Al-Nabieen University-Ghazni on the important topics such as; freedom, economic development, entrepreneurship and prosperity with the participation of university professors, experts, students and youth at Ghazni province.
In this seminar, participants exchanged their views on different issues such as; components of freedom, economic development, the role of freedom of expression in economic development, the relationship between the components of freedom, entrepreneurship and economic development, the necessity of Islamic banking, the development of human resources and its role in economic development, economic challenges & opportunities in Afghanistan and practical strategies for solving economic challenges in the country.
Mohammad Hanif Farzan; Chairman of AELSO, talked about the mission & vision of The Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organization (AELSO) and said: “AELSO in its strategic vision, plans to organize the National Entrepreneurship Camp all over the country. One of the goals that the National Entrepreneurship Camp is looking for is economic growth and poverty reduction in society. The role of entrepreneurs in development is very glorious and is one of the basic foundations for growth of societies. As a long-term partner of youth, AELSO supports your initiatives and plans for advancing peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.”
Dr. Hussain Habibi; Chancellor of the Khatam Al-Nabieen University-Ghazni, talked about a decade of activities at Khatam Al-Nabieen University-Ghazni and said, “In today’s era, knowledge is one of the main indicators of progress and excellence of any society, measuring the level of knowledge depends on the amount of production and consumption of information. On the other hand, research in Islam and among Muslims shows that since the prophet’s time, the emergence of Islam and the descent of the Quran became prevalent, there is no doubt that Islam is known as a religion which its acceptance is based on research and thought among religions. As The Religion of Islam emphasis on research, the Quran also encourages Muslim’s to investigate and express the truth on the basis of Islam. The philosophy of holding today’s seminar conveys the message that if we want to live in prosperity, freedom, independence, security and comfort, we must pay attention to the acquisition of science, academic institutions and scientific research.”
Dr. Ghulam Reza Karimi; Dean of Law & Political science faculty at Khatam Al-Nabieen University, talked about freedom of expression from Islam perspective and its role in economic development: “Freedom of expression is related to political, cultural and economic development. Freedom of expression means freedom of thought, and everyone is freed from choosing free thought. Freedom of expression is one of the debates that has the highest status in the discussions of freedom. As the study of Quran and Islamic hadiths, as well as the history of Islam, shows that Islam recognizes freedom of expression and expression, and that no religion is as respectful as Islam for this freedom, In Islam it’s not only free to express one’s opinions, but the Holy Quran guides that one must hear different ideas, opinions and beliefs, and criticize them with a free thought and when it comes to the best opinions, choose that one and set the criterion for action.”
Abdul Qaher Beheshti; General Programs Director of AELSO, talked about the relationship between the components of freedom, entrepreneurship and economic development, and said: “Entrepreneurship and economic freedom play a very key role in the economic and sustainable development of all societies. Entrepreneurship is an educatable issue and supporting entrepreneurs, especially supporting the educational system for entrepreneurship have vital importance. A society that moves in the context of entrepreneurship is a vibrant, dynamic and active society and it can simply endure and go through all the external and internal problems and pressures, so it will have a resilient economy. In this regard, investigating the relationship between entrepreneurship, economic freedom and economic development have particular importance. In order to transit from challenges and move towards a prosperous society; developing creative ideas, training entrepreneurs and creating jobs are among the most important strategies for achieving self-sufficiency of societies.”
Ishaq Ali Fahimi; Dean of Economics faculty at Khatam Al-Nabieen University, talked about the necessity of Islamic banking in Afghanistan; challenges and opportunities, and added: “Islamic banking refers to those banking activities that is consistent with Islamic laws and is defined in the form of Islamic economics. Islamic banking can play a very valuable role in development of small, medium and large enterprises, especially in the villages of the country. In Islamic banking, depositors’ funds are invested in certain contracts according to sharia and legal standards. With the remarkable growth of Muslim capital as well as the obvious features of Islamic banking in contrast to conventional banking, the industry has expanded day by day, so this has been noticed by Western institutions and countries in recent years due to the least vulnerability.”
Dr. Sayed Mohammad Taqi Hashemi; Academic Cadre Member of Economics Faculty at Khatam Al-Nabieen University, talked about the development of human resources and its role in economic development from Islam viewport, adding: “The development of society depends on the development of human resources. The Holy Quran considers human being as the most important wealth of society and emphasizes on the reconstruction and development of humans based on the capabilities and capacities available to achieve sustainable economic development based on justice.”
In (Open Mike) section of the program, participants shared their views on freedom, economic development and entrepreneurship in Afghanistan and received answers to their questions from the experts of the program.
Sediqa Khangari; participant of Freedom & Economics Seminar in Ghazni province said: “Freedom of thought is the basis and source of other freedoms, and therefore it is closely related to other freedoms. Freedom of thought means freedom of reason, and freedom of thought and reason are the basis for the right choice of purpose, path and way of life, In addition to that freedom of thought causes individual and social change.”
Nisar Ahmad Alokozay; another participant of Freedom & Economics Seminar in Ghazni Province said: “Economic growth automatically follows human development. Without good governance, economic growth in society would be disparate and uncoordinated which would lead society to a rift in the economic and social sectors. Good governance, like many other affairs, cannot be achieved by accident. Rather, it requires systematic rules and careful planning. Good governance is the result of good planning, profitable investment in resource management, efficient participation and reasonable decision-making.”
Bismellah Fitrat; another participant of Freedom & Economics Seminar in Ghazni Province, said: “In the current situation of Afghanistan, holding such seminars is ultimately motivating and decisive, and youth believe that they can work to achieve economic and social development in any situation. Entrepreneurs as productive figures are the source of vital impacts on the progress of society and country as they are very effective in development process of the society because they act like the bridge between industry and academic institutions.”
Hadi Poya; Deputy Student affairs of Khatam Al-Nabieen University-Ghazni, in conclusion part of the seminar said: “Islam has given a privileged authenticity to freedom of expression and recognizes it as a tool for the development of thought and spiritual excellence of human beings. Islam is the promoter for freedom of expression. Freedom of expression provides a context for critical dialogue and it causes reforms of institutions, and as a result, the process of reforming institutions leads to economic development. The role of entrepreneurship in economic growth and development depends on physical resources, industrial conditions and infrastructure, and most importantly, the system’s responsibility for the growth of entrepreneurship.”
Continuing the series of book donation, In order to promote the culture of reading, development of thought, research and support libraries, AELSO donated its books and publications to the authorities and the public library of Khatam Al-Nabieen University-Ghazni.
The Freedom & Economics Seminar, ended by distributing certificates for the participants and taking group photos.
Towards a free and prosperous Afghanistan
Relations & Publications Department