RAWALPIND: November 10, 2008. (Khadijah Shah for PCP) An individual or a group living in an Islamic state cannot affirm jihad on their own without the permission of the state, Islamic University, Swat Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan supposed on Thursday at a seminar. The Christian Study Centre organized the seminar titled 'Fundamental Steps to Combat Religious Extremism'. Speakers at the seminar said that while the war on terror was imposed on Pakistan, the government should take stern action against extremists and continue the war. A large number of students from universities and colleges of Punjab and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) attended the seminar. Dr Farooq thought that Islam had laid down some principles for waging jihad. He understood that while jihad could be waged to stop oppression, only the state had the authority to make announcement for jihad. He said that jihad could not be waged against a country that was a party to an agreement with an Islamic state. Jihad should be launched against the enemy, he said, if it would bring a positive change and would not increase problems for the Muslims. The vice chancellor said if Islamic scholars had issued decrees against suicide bombers eight years ago, suicide bombings could have been controlled. Extremism was against the philosophy of dialogue and democracy, he said, adding that extremism increased hatred, while dialogue promoted love and tolerance in society. He assumed that Pakistan became a victim of extremism after the Afghan War. Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC) Islamabad Coordinator Humaira Butt supposed that backward areas were breading grounds for extremism. St Mary's Academy Principal Group Captain (r) Cecil Chaudhry thought that the word extremism was being wrongly used. He understood that no religion should be taught in schools as the teacher, who is teaching the subject, belonged to a sect and that he/she taught religion according to his/her own perspective. Government Islamia Higher School No 1, Rawalpindi Principal Iqbal Naeem supposed that teachers should be role models for their students. She also said that apart from formal education, students need exposure that comes from attending various seminars and workshops. Aftab James Paul, the parish priest of Faisalabad Diocese, Peter Jacob, the Justice and Peace Commission chairman and Zafarullah Khan also spoke on the occasion.