Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq, on Wednesday said that terrorists killing innocent people in the name of Islam are not Muslims.
“There is a group of terrorists and they raise slogans in the name of Islam. But they are not Muslims as they are killing (innocent people). They kill women and children. This is not true Islam,” al-Jaafari said in Mumbai.
The Iraqi minister is on a five-day visit to India. He was in Mumbai on Wednesday for a day-long tour on the invitation of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Referring to the holy verses of Quran, he said, “Whatever is good for the well-being of the people will stay and what is harmful to the society, will go away.” “Despite the differences that may exist between people in the way they perceive the world with their minds, if they come together with their hearts, lasting peace and unity can be achieved.
“Muslims must look to the welfare of all people, regardless of caste or creed. That is the true meaning of being a Muslim,” he said.
Earlier, the Iraqi minister visited Raudat Tahera, the Dawoodi Bohra mausoleum in Bhendi Bazaar, where he paid his respects at the graves of the 51st and 52nd leaders of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
He appreciated the welfare programmes initiated by His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin and his predecessors. A statement issued by the Fayze Husaini Trust, which facilitates the Bohra community people for pilgrimages, said the Iraqi foreign minister was especially impressed by the redevelopment project in Bhendi Bazaar taken up by the trust, and echoed that the project will push up the living standards of 20,000 residents.
Explaining the objective of inviting the Iraqi minister to the city, a senior executive of the Trust said, “Both the countries share an unbreakable bond with each other. Thousands of the Indian Muslims as well as Christians visit the holy city of Karbala in central Iraq. Therefore, we decided to invite and honour the Iraqi foreign minister.”
