India’s Muslims are microcosm of our diversity: Sushma@OIC

TIL Desk/National/Abu Dhabi/ EAM Sushma Swaraj at the OIC conclave in Abu Dhabi, where she is a guest of honour.  Excerpts from the speech…

>> OIC members constitute 1/4th of the United Nations and almost a quarter of humanity. India shares much with you, many of us have shared dark days of colonialism.

>> I’m honoured to join colleagues from nations that represent a great religion and  ancient civilisations. I stand here as a representative of a land that has been a mountain of knowledge, beacon of peace, source of faith & traditions, home to many religions and one of the major economies.

>> Many of us saw the light of freedom and ray of hope at the same time, we have stood together in solidarity in our quest for dignity and equality.

>> Terrorism is destroying lives, destabilizing regions and putting the world at great peril. Terror reach is growing and the toll it is taking is increasing.

>> I carry the greetings of my PM Narendra Modi and 1.3 billion Indians, including more than 185 million Muslim brothers and sisters. Our Muslim brothers and sisters are microcosm of the diversity of India… They practice their respective beliefs and live in harmony with each other and with their non-Muslim brothers. It’s this appreciation of diversity and coexistence that has ensured that very few Muslims in India have fallen prey to to poisonous propaganda of radicalist and extremist ideologies.

Terrorism in each case is driven by distortion of religion. Fight against terror is not a confrontation against any religion. Just as Islam means peace, none of the 99 names of Allah mean violence. Similarly every religion stands for peace.