Sushma says at OIC Islam literally means peace

ABU DHABI: In a first, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday addressed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting at Abu Dhabi as a guest of honour.

She cited a verse from Quran that says, let there be no compulsion in religion and went to add a verse from Sura Al Hujurat of the holy book that reads, O Mankind! We created you from a single pair of male and female and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know one another, not that you may despise one another. Just as Islam literally means peace.

Similarly, every religion in the world stands for peace, compassion and brotherhood, the external affairs minister said. Swaraj, who attended the inaugural plenary of the two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi, as the guest of honour. At the OIC meet, Swaraj called for building pressure on the countries that support terrorist groups to dismantle terror infrastructure on their soil and stop funding such outfits. Her comments have come amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan, international media reported.

While pointing out that terrorism has no religion she said terrorist infrastructure and support for its network should be dismantled, wherever it may be, without mentioning any country’s name. Swaraj is the guest of honour at the two-day conference of the OIC, an influential bloc of 57 countries.

Sushma said, “I stand here as a representative of a land, that has been for ages a fountain of knowledge, a beacon of peace, a source of faiths and traditions, and home to religions from the world and now, one of the major economies of the world.”

“I carry the greetings of 1.3 billion Indians, including more than 185 million Muslim brothers and sisters. Our Muslims brothers and sisters are a microcosm of the diversity of India itself.”