DP2 Student Advocates for Peace Between India and Pakistan | Aga Khan Academies

DP2 Student Advocates for Peace Between India and Pakistan

16 October 2018
DP2 student Ali Muhammad Khowaja led an assembly on 14 August at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. During this assembly, Ali Muhammad focused on the conflicts between India and Pakistan and how the two countries can resolve all disputes and come together as one. Here, Ali Muhammad reflects on why he decided to take up this initiative and what he hopes to accomplish through it.

Ali Muhammad addressing Senior School“I thought of this initiative when I was in DP1 and it was Uganda’s Independence Day. We celebrated this day at the Academy and sung Uganda’s national anthem because there are a lot of students from Uganda. After I realised many students at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa are from India and Pakistan, and many students also identify as Indian or Pakistani, I thought the Academy should also celebrate the independence of those countries as well.

Growing up in Pakistan, the media always showed me the differences India and Pakistan had. Some of the people I grew up with were quick to feel hatred against India. However, when I read up on history of the sub-continent before the arrival of the British, I was so amazed! I also realised how much the two countries have in common because of the Indian movies I used to watch growing up.

Indian and Pakistani origin students sharing a light momentBesides religion, our culture is almost the same with the same language. The only disputes which are between these nations are political. I realised the reasoning behind the disputes between the two nations, which were created on the basis of religion, were by people who just wanted political power. However, not everyone understands this because of the low literacy rate in both countries, which can cause ignorance.  

Today a lot of educated people, which mostly consist of the youth, support the notion of peace between the two countries. Various people have contributed in a number of ways for this unity and it is these small contributions that make a long-term impact. I believe the initiative I took was to show that we, Indians and Pakistanis, can live together in peace and harmony. 

The students singing the national anthems of both countries togetherFurthermore, we can embrace the diverse opinions, thoughts and traditions which people from both of the nations have been doing. This was a small act but I want to portray that this is possible and I am very optimistic it will happen one day 'when the power of love overcomes the love of power.' "