National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday said Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride in the country and the Quran emphasises the importance of unity and understanding among people from diverse backgrounds. He also claimed that the deep spiritual content of Hinduism and Islam brought the people together.
“It (India) has been a melting pot of cultures, religions, languages and ethnicities that have co-existed in harmony for centuries. 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,” Doval said.
“Islam arrived in India in the 7th century during the life of prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and gradually found a new home in this subcontinent. Over the centuries, it developed a unique syncretic tradition, it was kinetic and dynamic, it expanded and integrated, it was reformative, and it was also which enriched the culture of the new land they have arrived,” he further said.
“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 the distinct and vibrant expression of peace and harmony notwithstanding the vagaries of political ups and downs. While historians have focussed on political events, they have failed to capture this underlying spirit of accommodation, tolerance, and respect. The powerful societal undercurrents that brought people together and cemented their relations,” the NSA added.
“The holy Quran emphasises the importance of unity and understanding among people from diverse backgrounds,” Doval said.
“The philosophy of cooperation and dialogues in Islam has over the centuries merged seamlessly with ancient Hindu civilisation tradition of Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam, the world is one family,” he added.
Doval’s remarks came at an event in New Delhi at the India Islamic Cultural Centre where Muslim World League Secretary General Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is on an India visit, also addressed the gathering.
