New Delhi – According to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Islam holds a special and crucial “position of pride” among the various religious groups in the nation. India has been a melting pot of cultures and religions that have coexisted in harmony for generations.
The Muslim World League Secretary General Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is in India, also spoke at the occasion where Mr. Doval made his comments at the India Islamic Cultural Centre.
Al-Issa was praised by Mr. Doval as a profound scholar with a thorough knowledge of Islam and as an authentic global voice of moderate Islam.
Mr. Doval praised the “excellent” connections between Saudi Arabia and India, saying they were founded on a common cultural history, shared values, and economic links.
The National Security Advisor stated that “our leaders share a common vision for the future and have been closely interacting with each other.”
In his remarks, Mr. Doval stated that India, the mother of democracies and the greatest democracy in the world, is a country of incredible diversity.
“You elaborately discussed diversity as a key aspect of our life in your (Al-Issa) discourse. For generations, many cultures, religions, languages, and ethnicities have coexisted peacefully in India. India has successfully provided room for all of its citizens regardless of their religious, ethnic, and cultural identities as an inclusive democracy, he said.
With India having the second-largest Muslim population in the world, Islam “occupies a unique and significant position of pride amongst its numerous religious groups,” he remarked.
For context, Mr. Doval stated that India’s Muslim population is almost comparable to the combined population of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) more than 33 member states.
