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P.K. Abdul Ghafour
JEDDAH – Unity in diversity is the beauty of India and Indians must stand united to preserve this distinguished hallmark and rich heritage of their country setting a shining example for other nations to follow, said speakers at the concluding ceremony of a month-long peace and humanity campaign organized by Thanima, a cultural organization of Indian expatriates from Kerala.
“Fascist forces have been trying to spread religious and communal hatred in India to cling on to power. They describe Muslim as an antonym of Hindu to rouse animosity,” said K.P. Ramanunni, a well-known novelist and activist while inaugurating the event at JSFM floodlit stadium in Jeddah Industrial City in the presence of a large gathering of Keralite expats.
Ramanunni said the Hindutva forces were promoting hatred between religions to "fish in troubled waters. They wanted to project Islam and Muslims as enemies by falsifying history and misinterpreting Hindu scriptures. They re-write the country's history and present it as a chronicle of Hindu-Muslim conflict. This way they follow the divide and rule policy of the British colonialists.”
Ramanunni commended Mahatma Gandhi for his efforts to promote communal harmony in India. “Muslims and Hindus are the right and left eye of India,” he quoted the father of the nation as saying. He denounced the malicious move by the fascists to honor Nathuram Godse, the killer of Gandhi, by constructing temples and statues in his name.
Ramanunni highlighted the universal relevance of Thanima’s peace and humanity campaign as “our world is beset with lots of wars and conflicts.” He urged Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and followers of other faiths to abide by the peaceful teachings of their religions and work for the common good of humanity to reinforce global peace and stability.
C.K. Mohammed Najeeb, president of Thanima, presided over the function while K.M. Basheer, chief coordinator presented the campaign theme. Sheikh Sati Saleh Al-Zahrani, director general of the Industrial City Dawa Center, presented a memento to Ramanunni.
Dr. Nouman Bantan, CIO of Salama Cooperative Insurance, Mohammed Babakr, public relations officer, Ahmed Unneen, a senior official at Dawa Center, Gopi Nedungadi, a cultural activist, and Shamsuddin of Gulf Madhyamam addressed the gathering while Najmuddin gave the welcome speech.
“Thanima has done a great job by bringing together a large number of Muslims, Hindus and Christians in this auspicious gathering. This is a big achievement,” Bantan told Saudi Gazette. He said Ramanunni’s inaugural speech was touching.
“Even though I did not understand a single word of his speech it did touch me as it came from his heart. I was extremely happy to hear him speak about the beauty of Islam and the need for Hindus and Muslims live together peacefully in India to strengthen the country.”
Bantan explained Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) teachings and examples to foster communal harmony. “The Prophet hosted a delegation of Christians, who came from Najran, at his mosque in Madinah and allowed them to sleep and pray there. This taught me how I should treat my fellow human beings nicely and respectfully.”
Bantan expressed his disappointment over the ruling BJP government’s efforts to divide the country on religious lines, giving hell of a time for Muslims and other minority communities. “For hundreds of years, people of different religions coexisted peacefully in India.”
He believed that India can play a big role in boosting world peace and stability by upholding its unique heritage and values. “India is like a continent and plays host to all major religions and cultures. If you start segregating it would give a wrong message to the world. India’s beauty lies in its diversity and it should remain a role model for other countries for peaceful co-existence,” Bantan added.
He also spoke about a beautiful experience he had during a Ramadan night in Makkah after performing Taraweeh prayers at the Grand Mosque. “I was sitting in the corner of the mosque’s courtyard to take rest. Then a Kazakh came and sat nearby me. He was eating bread and butter. Then an Indian came, who was eating an egg sandwich. I also brought some food and tea from the nearby shop and we decided to eat together. I cannot express the great feelings I had by sitting together with people from other countries. It was the unforgettable feeling of togetherness,” Bantan said.
