"Amongst its numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride, with India being home to the second-largest Muslim population in the world," said National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday, 11 July while addressing an event by the Khusro Foundation in New Delhi.
Addressing the event in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s former Minister for Justice Mohammad bin Abdulkarim al-Issa and several other dignitaries, Doval said that terrorism is not linked to any religion and that it is extremism that needs to be dealt with at a global level.
Doval also said that the values of both Hinduism and Islam are spiritually intertwined and further the ancient Indian belief of 'Vasudeva Kutumbakam - the world is one family.'
At the event attended by former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, former Deputy NSA Pankaj Saran, chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council Syed Naseruddin Chishty, MP Hans Raj Hans, and several other dignitaries of various embassies, here's what Doval said:
“Terrorism is not linked to any religion, it is the individuals that get misguided and it is probably the duty of spiritual and religious leaders to see that they can belong to any religion, faith, belief system or political ideology, but anyone who takes the path of violence will have to be countered as effectively."
"As an inclusive democracy, India has successfully managed to provide space for all its citizens regardless of their religious, ethnic and cultural identities."
"Amongst its numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride, with India being home to the second-largest Muslim population in the world. In fact, to give an idea on the scale we are talking about — the Indian Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of more than 33 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation."
“No religion is under any threat here. As a proud civilisational state, India believes in promoting tolerance, dialogue, and cooperation to deal with the challenges of our time. It was no coincidence that despite having around 200 million Muslims, the involvement of Indian citizens in global terrorism has been incredibly low."
“To preserve the security and stability within our borders and also rise to the security challenges beyond, India has been leading the fight against individuals and organisations who are promoting extremism, narcotics and terrorism.”
“Your deep understanding of Islam and religions of the world, incessant efforts towards interfaith harmony, courage to lead on the path of reforms, is not only contributing to a better understanding of Islam and its seminal contribution to humanity but also preventing extremist and radical ideologies that plague our young minds," he said referring to al-Issa.
"The deep spiritual content of Hinduism and Islam brought the people together and helped in bringing about a social and intellectual understanding of each other. It gave rise to a distinct and vibrant expression of peace and harmony, notwithstanding the caveats of political ups and downs."
"While historians have focussed more on the political events, they have failed to capture this underlying spirit of accommodation, tolerance, and respect. They should share the powerful societal undercurrents that brought the people together and cemented their relations."
"The Holy Quran emphasises the importance of unity and understanding among people from diverse backgrounds. There is a purpose behind diversity, that is what the Holy Quran says — that the humans were created and divided into different communities and the diversity was created among the tribes and people to facilitate mutual acquaintance and recognition."
"The philosophy of cooperation and dialogue in Islam have over the centuries merged seamlessly with the ancient Hindu civilisational tradition of 'Vasudeva Kutumbakam - the world is one family.'"
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)