New Delhi: A programme on 'Muslims in Modern Plural Society' was organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind at Indian Medical Association on 27^th Feb evening.

Tunisia's exiled scholar and leader of Islamic Movement Tunisia, Shaikh Rashid Ghannoushi, who was the chief guest of the programme delivered key-note address on the topic. Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Omri, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind giving inaugural speech, warmly welcomed and presented bouquet to Rashid Ghannoushi.

 Maulana Omri said, 'Islam has become the biggest challenge for West, in spite of West's unreasonable and hostile behaviour, and it is rapidity spreading especially in Western countries and Quran has become the most reading book as well as Women are embracing  Islam in large quantity while it is commonly alleged that Islam oppresses women.'

 Maulana Omri said that now no country remained in the world, which has the citizens, followers of single religion live because large numbers of Muslims are residing in non-Muslims dominated countries and in the same way non-Muslims are residing in Muslim countries, as a result Muslims either are majority or minority in any country, so what will be the conduct of Muslims in both the situations? He replied that Islam instructs that wherever Muslims are lived either in majority or minority, they should have all rights which Islam gives them and every person has right to live, Quran explains that don't kill anyone unjustly, Allah instructed Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) that too in initial stage of his prophet-hood in Makkah that no one should live oppressed life and weaker should feel that Muslims are on their back.  

"The right to present in front of others Quran's challenge 'Islam is the only right religion,' should be given along with other rights, which Islam ensures to a person, if Muslims live with these rights in a country, it is un-Islamic to revolt against that country, in case they don't have these rights, they should try to obtain the rights," he added.

Addressing the gathering, Sheikh Ghannoushi, who is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Tunisia, said the charter was relevant today to face the challenges confronting Muslims across the globe. He said after migrating to Madinah, the Prophet prepared the charter in which equal rights and duties were assigned to all citizens of the Islamic State of Madinah -- polytheists, Jews, Christians and Muslims. Jews, however, were expelled later from the state because they had violated the charter. He said a movement could succeed only when it accepted multiplicity of religions, cultures and civilizations.

For Muslim minorities, who constitute one third of the entire Muslim Ummah, there are only three ways open: first that they adopt the ideology of division of state into Muslim and non-Muslim population; second, surrender themselves before the majority, and third, participate with non-Muslims. Of these three options, the last one will help Muslims to enjoy their rights, said Sheikh Ghannoushi. The other two options may push them to confrontation with the world or undignified life, said he who is living in London in exile.

Reviewing the state of various Islamic movements in the world, Sheikh Ghannoushi, who is one of the founding members of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), said the reason behind their failure was their non-acceptance of plurality. “Can it be imagined that a Christian can ever become president of Egypt?” he questioned. Taliban waged a Jihad but when Allah handed over a country to them, they could not follow the ideology of pluralism.

 Sheikh Rashid Gannoushi lauded the beautiful culture of India and expressed that earlier he had merely read in the books about the country and about Shah Waliallah and Maulana Syed Abul Aala Maudodi, 'now God has given the opportunity to see and visit this country.'

Mr Gannoushi said it is a basic tenet of Islam that creator is one and creations are many.   

Speaking on the plural society, he said, "from the very first day Islam nurtured the friendly environment among believers of different religions and promoted multi-religious and plural society and it is the glaring example of it that wherever Islam spread, Jews, Christians and others have inhabited along with Muslims, and non-Muslims' monasteries,  churches and temples are situated in countries where Muslims have been ruling more than thousand years, on the contrary first Muslims Mosque was built in 1925 in France, in India too Muslims ruled around thousand years but they didn't  demolish temples and monasteries because of Islamic teaching of plural society.

He articulated that to accommodate other people is the basic characteristic of Islam and West took it from Islam. According to Quran, there is no compulsion for religion and man has the complete right to follow any religion or dogma.

 

"Few years ago a front was made named International Islamic Front to fight against Jews and Christians, it is against the Islam because there is no compulsion in Islam and no one can unwillingly be converted to Islam and no war was fought for this purpose and Islam allows only defensive battle or fights to stop atrocities," he added.

 

"Monotheism is another reason which prevented Muslims to commit genocide of others while Christians believe in trinity and they fought hundreds of years against each other because each group had believed that God is within itself and Jews believe that they are the chosen people of God but Islam says that Muslims and all human beings are the creations of God."

 

"Europeans hadn't such thing in their religions so they revolted against their own religion and embraced secularism, but no need to own secularism for a Muslim because Islam already has tolerance and pluralism."

 

"Now these attributes are developing in Europe and they are discussing about Islam and to own some Islamic doctrines, recently a British archbishop Rowan Williams suggested to include some Sharia principles in European laws and Islamic interest free windows are being opened in Europe whereas founder of Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Maudodi decades of years ago presented the interest free system through the book, at that time peoples surprisingly questioned that is it practical? Now Europeans are discussing interest free banking. "

 

"Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) established fraternity between migrated Muslims and residents of Medina after migration, and all residents of Medina including believers of other religions were declared citizen of first Islamic state, in this Islam first gave the concept of common citizenship while Jews were not driven out from Media for religious reason but because of their violation of constitution of Medina."

 

At the end, he discussed problems of Muslims countries and insisted to accommodate democratic system. He also suggested to Indian Muslims to contest parliamentary and assembly elections and to participate in politics for increasing influence and pressure on the government.

  

The programme was commenced by Qari Abdul Mannan's recitation of Holy Quran and Mr Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, Secretary Jamaat-e-Islami Hind did convening.