Religious adviser Dr. A F M Khalid Hossain has warned that separating religion from politics could result in a return to barbarism similar to that of Genghis Khan. Speaking as the chief guest at an Imam-Khatib conference organized by the Shane Sahaba National Khatib Foundation in Cumilla Town Hall on Sunday, he emphasized that religion is essential for maintaining moral and social order. Dr. Hossain stated that without religious values, neither the state nor society can sustain itself, and that religion should inspire all aspects of governance, diplomacy, and social management. He urged responsible authorities to include imams, muezzins, khatibs, and mosque caretakers under the national pay scale with fair salaries and festival allowances. Other speakers at the event included the foundation’s chairman Sheikh Mufti Shamim Majumdar, secretary general Mufti Sharif Ullah Tareki, and Islamic Foundation deputy director Ashekur Rahman.