The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) hosted a landmark Creativity Workshop focusing on religious music traditions across Pakistan. This research and advocacy organisation launched the new initiative to explore music as a deeply human, emotional, and spiritual medium to promote interfaith harmony and cultural inclusion. The workshop delved into the diverse religious music traditions of Pakistan, aiming to foster mutual respect and encourage interfaith dialogue through creative expression. It also sought to build cultural bridges by highlighting shared elements among faith communities, thereby contributing to peacebuilding and social cohesion. Collaboration among faith-based artists, musicologists, and worshippers was actively encouraged.
The workshop welcomed over 30 participants from a wide range of religious and cultural backgrounds. These included singers, musicians, composers, scholars, and worshippers from Pakistan’s Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Kalasha communities. The event was part of CSJ’s ongoing work under the European Union-funded project Together for Tolerance: Strengthening Minority Rights and Inclusion.
The three-day event offered a rich blend of performance, dialogue, group reflection, and collaborative creation. On the first day, participants introduced themselves by sharing personal stories or musical expressions that connected them to their faith. Presentations included Arieb Azhar on the history of music in the subcontinent and Brian Bassanio Paul on the evolution of Church music in Pakistan. Demonstrations of Church hymns and Kalasha worship music allowed participants to experience traditions rarely heard outside their respective communities.
The second day focused on interfaith collaboration. Proceedings began with live performances of Hindu Bhajans, followed by demonstrations of Sikh Keertan and Ginans. Later in the day, participants engaged in an open sharing circle, offering spontaneous performances of songs, poetry, and personal insights. The evening concluded with group rehearsals in preparation for the final showcase.
The third and final day culminated in a powerful closing ceremony featuring live devotional performances. The event opened with music from the Kalasha community, followed by Church hymns, devotional chants, Bhajans, and Sikh Kirtan. These group performances were enhanced by impactful solo contributions from Arieb Azhar, Shaza Kaleem Usmani, Emmanuel Shafquat, Karishma, and Sameer Robin.
In his address at the closing ceremony, Peter Jacob, Executive Director of CSJ, stated that “this workshop gave us a living example of what empathy sounds like.” He added that over the next six months, CSJ aims to sustain this interfaith spirit through continued contact, creative engagement, and further exploration of underrepresented cultural forms, including lullabies (loris) in Pakistan’s languages.
Many participants remarked that it was the first time they had experienced a space where faith, identity, and creativity were celebrated side by side. Several expressed hope that the initiative would lead to future collaborations, recordings, and grassroots performances in their respective regions. One of the most significant outcomes of the workshop was the formation of an informal but deeply connected community of interfaith artists, thinkers, and cultural practitioners.