Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer along with other interfaith leaders jointly snubbed the growing communal hate and hostility in the country.
An interfaith conference on ‘Religion does not teach enmity with each other’, held by the Islamic Information Centre at the Exhibition Ground in Aligarh, UP on December 26, was attended by the leaders and representatives of different religions.
Addressing the gathering, the JIH leader asserted that one who commits violence in the name of faith is an enemy of his own religion. He said the root cause of growing hatred and violence in the society is not religion but supremacist mentality and misuse of religion for the sake of political interests. He added that all faiths teach against hatred, oppression and violence while some people and groups think themselves as superior and see others as inferior. He further said, “However, Islam considers all human beings a family of God. At all times and everywhere in the world, prophets and messengers came from God with a message to establish peace and justice on earth.”
He laid emphasis on sharing joys and sorrows with each other and establishing direct and one-to-one relationships among the people. He asserted that nothing should be imposed on anyone and everyone should be free to seek truth while no religion should be used to commit violence and atrocity. He reminded that there can be no peace in a society without justice.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rajeev Prachandiya, Editor of Jai Kalyan Shri (Aligarh edition), said that the theme of the conference is not just a slogan but an idea as no religion endorses mutual fighting and hatred.
Advocating social equality and justice, representative of Sikhism Giani Prabhajot Singh Ji of Gurdwara Masoodabad, Aligarh, said there is no caste or community and everyone will depart back to their Lord as they came from their mothers’ womb.
The Buddhist Society of India’s Shri Jai Singh Suman said Gautam Buddha always talked about equality and love while Buddhism tried to eradicate untouchability from society.
Hare Krishna Bhakti Kendra’s Shri Deepak Sharma said all the human beings are the children of the same God, according the teachings of Sanatan Dharma.
Reverend Lawrence Das of the Church of the Ascension Aligarh said, if we have love, peace and humbleness in our hearts for others, mutual enmity and hatred cannot arise among us.
Delivering the concluding speech, JIH UP West President Ahmed Aziz Khan said, “As man is becoming more developed and educated today, he is committing more shameful acts, which are defaming humanity. God has made man the vicegerent of the earth; however, he is killing girls in wombs, even before their birth.” He said, if a man does not bow down to his Creator, he cannot be useful for the human society.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Junaid Siddiqi reminded that people of all religions worked together to beautify the country and jointly fought for freedom. Therefore, he urged, it is the responsibility of all the people to take the society out of the prevailing hateful atmosphere of hostility.