Muslims must take initiative for communal harmony in India: Jamaat

New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind president Syed Sadatullah Husaini urged Muslims in India to step forward with individual and collective efforts for communal harmony in the country.

Husaini was addressing the two-day programme 'All India Communal Harmony Coordinators’ Meet' organised by the organisation's Communal Harmony Department in which men and women working at the grassroots level for communal harmony from nearly 20 states across the country participated. The objective of the meeting was to understand the situation of communal harmony in different states, review the work carried out so far, and provide guidance for future efforts, according to a press release.

The Jamaat chief said that work for communal harmony is not temporary but permanent in nature. He said Islam is founded on correcting relationships among people and guiding them in the right direction. He added that the Quran places great emphasis on this, and the Prophet Muhammad devoted his entire life to this cause.

The secretary general of the organisation, T Arif Ali, said efforts for communal harmony are not a response to situational pressure, but instead are a responsibility and have always been part of the policy of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. He added that just as harmony exists in every aspect of God’s creation, harmony among human beings is also essential.

On the occasion, Swami Sarvalok Anand Ji Maharaj spoke on the importance of interfaith dialogue for communal harmony and urged people to understand and respect their own beliefs as well as those of others. Gyani Mangal Singh Ji spoke on the importance of building bridges among all communities and said selfless service to people is the most effective means to achieve this.

Shaista Rifat, national secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, spoke on the role of women in communal harmony. She said half of the world’s population cannot be kept out of this effort and urged women to come forward and play an active role. She said society and the nation must provide them with maximum opportunities in this regard.

During the programme, participants exchanged views on various ideas to make the Dharamik Jan Morcha and Sadbhavana Manch more active and effective across the country. Prof Salim Engineer, vice president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, advised participants to work with confidence and without discrimination.

At the conclusion of the programme, participants from across the country expressed their resolve to unite all sections of society with patience, wisdom, perseverance, and courage.