India safe for minorities |
India`s Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the forum of a world Sufi meet March 17 to declare terrorism as "anti-religion" and to state that India can accommodate minorities, including "micro minorities" like Parsis, and has the space for "believers and non-believers". Holding up the example of Sufi saints like Amir Khushro, Moinuddin Chisti etc, he said Sufism is the voice of peace and enshrines universal brotherhood. Islam means peace, he said, quoting the Quranic verse that says "there is no compulsion in religion". Modi`s decision to address the Sufi forum comes on the back of controversies like beef bans and the debate over intolerance. The meeting saw president of All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) Muhammad Ashraf raise concerns about safety of minorities when he said Muslims in India were living with a feeling of fear and sought the PM`s intervention to build asense of security.PM Modi said that Sufism is one of the greatest contributions of Islam to this world. He dwelled on the impact of terrorsim and he began by speaking of the principles of Islam.Of the 99 names for Allah, none of them stand for force or violence. They stand for compassion and merciful, Allah is Rahman and Rahim, he said.
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