As part of its ongoing citywide campaign, ‘Turn to the Creator’, the Mumbai chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) hosted a live Webinar on September 19, hosting religious leaders representing Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, titled ‘The Role of Religion and Religious Leaders in the COVID-19 Scenario’.
After the customary recitation of a passage of the Qur’an, the President of JIH Mumbai, Mr. Abdul Haseeb Bhatkar, told the audience that God sends calamities to mankind so that they might turn to Him in repentance and rectify themselves. He explained that the very purpose of inviting all religious leaders to share their thoughts on this topic was aimed at emphasising the common appeal of this message.
Presiding Bishop of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of South Asia, Dr. Ravikumar Stephen, presented a PowerPoint lecture in which he said that this pandemic is a divine scourge to warn people of the consequences of their sins, and that we need to collectively take to penitence.
Jain Muni, Shri Vinamra Sagarji Maharaj stressed on the importance of humanity and mutual cooperation. Using pertinent parables, he said that we should all be united as a society despite our religious differences.
Buddhist scholar of international repute, Dr. Badhant Rahul Bodhi conveyed Gautam Buddha’s message of compassion and goodwill, while Brahmakumari Tapaswini ji exhorted the audience to remain determined against all odds. Sikh scholar, Mahant Baba Satyanaam Das spoke on universal brotherhood, while Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi, representing the All India Ulema Council and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, explained that all things happen according to divine plan and providence, and we all need to turn to God and pray to Him in all earnest. While replying to a question from the audience, Brahamachari Pralhadanand Maharaj of Sanyas Ashram averred that the message this pandemic has given us is that God Almighty alone is Omnipotent and is in complete control of this world and its affairs, not man.
The National President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Syed Sadatullah Husaini, in his presidential speech, called on all religious leaders to come together and help serve those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in all earnest. He drew upon the points shared by all the guest speakers to drive home the message of repentance and humility towards our Creator, and expressed hope of a more spiritually and morally enriched society henceforth.
This campaign by JIH Mumbai also features quiz and essay and video competitions, lecture series and many more such interactive webinars and symposia in the days to come.