Islam means peace, none of Allah’s names mean violence — Sushma tells OIC minus Pakistan

Pakistan has refused to attend this year's meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on account of India's participation.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the 46th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Abu Dhabi | PTI

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has called for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to intervene with states that provide funding and shelter to terrorists and ask them to dismantle terrorist camps on their territory.

She was addressing the inaugural plenary of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Abu Dhabi Friday, amid renewed tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Pulwama terror attack, which was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.

“If we want to save humanity, then we must tell the states who provide funding and shelter to the terrorists to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorist camps and stop providing funding and shelter to the terror organisations based in that country,” Swaraj said.

She added that the menace of terrorism could not be addressed through military or diplomatic means alone, but through the strengthening of values and religions.

“I would like to say that this menace cannot be fought only through military, intelligence or diplomatic means. It is also a battle that must be won through the strength of our values and the real message of religions,” she said.

Swaraj added that terrorism and extremism were driven by a “distortion of religion, and a misguided belief in its power to succeed”.

“The fight against terrorism is not a confrontation against any religion. It cannot be,” she said.

“Just as Islam literally means peace, none of the 99 names of Allah mean violence. Similarly, every religion in the world stands for peace, compassion and brotherhood,” Swaraj added.

Swaraj has been invited to the conference as a guest of honour by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Foreign Minister, to speak at the inaugural session. This is the first time in 50 years, since the OIC was established, that India has participated in the conference.

Pakistan lashes out

The OIC was conceptualised as a congregation of Muslim countries, and India was initially seen as a natural member because it had the world’s second-largest Muslim population, a fact that remains true to this day.

However, India’s attempt to be a member or observer at the OIC has been consistently scuttled by Pakistan, which accuses New Delhi of committing human rights violations in Kashmir.

On account of India’s participation, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Friday that the country would not attend the OIC meeting, saying India was responsible for “horrendous human rights violations” in Kashmir.

“India is a country with unresolved disputes with Pakistan, a founding member of OIC,” he added.

“India is also responsible for horrendous human rights violations of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (sic),” he said, adding, “India has consistently rejected OIC resolutions on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, adopted at the OIC Foreign Ministers and Summit levels. Only last year, India rejected the OIC resolution on Jammu & Kashmir by stating that India ‘dismisses it with the contempt it deserves’.”