Action against terrorism not against any religion: PM

Team Udayavani, Mar 2, 2018, 10:19 AM IST

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said action against terrorism and radicalisation is not against any religion but aimed at countering a mindset that leads the young to inflict atrocities on innocents.

Complete welfare and inclusive development are possible only when Muslim youths have a Quran in one hand and computer in the other, the prime minister added in his speech at a conference on ‘Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding & Moderation’, where Jordan’s Abdullah II bin Al Hussein delivered a special address.

The action against terrorism and radicalisation is not against religion. It is against the mindset that misleads our youth to inflict atrocities against innocents,” he said. Those who perpetrate crimes against humanity, the prime minister added, do not realise that they undermine the religion in whose name they claim to stand for.

Delivering his address, the Jordanian king said today’s global war against terror is not a fight between different religions. “It is between moderates of all faiths and communities and against extremists who spread hatred and violence,” he said. Sharing his views on religion, he said faith should hold humanity together.

We need to recognise and reject the misinformation groups promote about Islam, or indeed any religion. We need to take back the airwaves and Internet from the voices of hatred, those who have victimised our world only with bombs and terror but with ignorance and lies, he said. Inclusion is the path to the co-existence, the king said, stressing the need to build strong, successful countries.

It is our strongest defence against turmoil and our greatest promise of our future and prosperity, security and peace, he said. Lauding the Jordanian king for the steps taken to counter radicalisation, Modi said it would prove beneficial to counter barbarism inflicted by extremists. India would like to walk together with you in the work done by you in the area of de-radicalisation, the prime minister said.

India, the prime minister added, had been a “cradle of all major religions in the world”. Indian democracy is a celebration of age-old pluralism, Modi said. According to him, all faiths promote human values. “… therefore, our youth should associate themselves with the humanitarian aspects of Islam and should also able to use modern technology”, he said. Modi also presented the king an Urdu translation of a book titled A Thinking Persons Guide to Islam by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan, who is a cousin of the king and also serves Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs.

He said the book will prove to be of great use for curious minds who wish to know about Islam. The king, a 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad, is known for his global initiative to fight radicalisation and terrorism. He is also the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.

“Ideologies of hate distort the word of God to stir up conflict and justify crime and terror. And we need to take these dangers seriously. But they should never allow to distract us from the truth.” The king said it is faith that every day inspires the experiences of people in countries like India and Jordan where different religious and ethnic groups have lived together with amity for throughout history.