National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday accentuated India's effort of making itself a home for Islam and asserted that it has been a melting pot of cultures and religions. He emphasised the locus of Islam and said that it has a unique and significant "position of pride" amongst the religious groups in the country. Doval on July 11, heartedly welcomed Muslim World League Secretary General Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa at an event here at the India Islamic Cultural Centre. Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is on an India visit, also addressed the gathering here.
Doval conveyed his most sincere gratitude to Abdulkarim al-Issa and said that he is an authentic "global voice" of moderate Islam and a profound scholar of Islam, who is adored and respected by millions of people around the world.
The National Security Advisor further highlighted the excellent relations that exist between India and Saudi Arabia and said that both countries are rooted in shared cultural heritage, common values, and economic ties. He said that the leaders of both countries share a common vision of the future.
He said, India is the world's largest democracy and the mother of democracies, is a land of incredible diversity. It is a melting pot of cultures, religions, and languages that coexist in harmony. As an inclusive democracy, India has successfully managed to provide space for all its citizens, regardless of their religious, ethnic or cultural backgrounds.
He further asserted that among numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position, with India being home to the second-largest Muslim population in the world.
While highlighting the history of Islam in India, he said that "it arrived in the country in the 7th century CE during the life of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and gradually found a new home in the subcontinent. Over the centuries, it developed a unique syncretic tradition that is deeply rooted in the ethos of Indian cultural life. The deep spiritual contents 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 vagaries of political ups and downs. While the historians have focused more on the political events, they have failed to capture the societal undercurrents that brought the people together."
