The Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) led by Archbishop Fernando Capalla, convenor for Catholics, visited the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from January 13 to 17 and held a successful dialogue with top government officials and members of the country’s ulama.

Other convenors of the BUC include Bishop Hilario Gomez Jr., PhD, for Protestants, and Dr. Hamid Aminoddin Barra for Muslims.
The five-day visit to Pakistan was “a success," Barra, an official of the Ulama League of the Philippines (ULP), told the Manila Bulletin.

“We had a successful meeting and dialogue with Pakistani government officials and their ulama. They want to learn from us, particularly on how we conduct interfaith dialogue in the Philippines,” said Barra.

Filipinos also have a lot to learn from the Pakistanis on how they foster interfaith dialogue, he added.

Barra cited what he said is Pakistan’s law that says five percent of available jobs must go to the minorities.

It was learned that as a result of the meeting, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi plans to visit the Philippines and will bring with him many of their prominent ulama (plural of aleem – Islamic clerics).

“I asked the foreign minister to have the Pakistani ulama visit Marawi City and have a dialogue with Filipino ulama. I also told him there are many Pakistani tableegh missionaries in the country,” the BUC official said.

The Web site of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a report that the BUC officials’ visit, accompanied by Filipino officials, was “part of the 60th anniversary of the forging of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Pakistan and in support of the country’s hosting of the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting (SNAMMM) on Interfaith Dialogue in March 2010.”