India Will Never Allow Forces Of Hatred Near Its People: Sushma Swaraj
EA Minister hosts an Eid reception for envoys
NEW DELHI, June 27: India will never allow "the forces of hatred and violence" to come anywhere near its people, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today as she hosted an Eid reception for envoys.
She said like any religious festival in India, whether Diwali or Christmas, Eid-ul-Fitr too brings together people of all faiths.
"India is home to one of the largest population of Muslims. Our celebrations of Eid are as diverse as our regions, languages, cuisine and traditions, as vibrant as our clothes and festivities, and as sweet as our traditional meeti sevaiyan and a host of savoury dishes," she said at the reception for Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in New Delhi.
"As long as we truly practice our faiths and, as the Holy Prophet himself said: 'None of you have faith until he loves for his brother, or for his neighbour, what he loves for himself.
"We will never allow the forces of hatred and violence come anywhere near our peoples, and disrupt our societies," she said.
Extending her Eid wishes, the minister noted that Muslims all over the world observe Ramzan as the month of fasting, with a pre-dawn meal of suhoor and ending the fast everyday with iftar.
It is a month to practice self discipline and self control -- a test of inner strength, she said.
Quoting the King of Jordan from his speech in April here, Ms Swaraj said, "It was wisely said, the world is one family... Compassion, mercy, tolerance -- these values are shared by billions of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. And these values require us, together, to act for our common future.
"Just as His Majesty referred to one global family, we too in India have grown up believing that the world is indeed one family. The concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is ingrained in our ethos," Ms Swaraj said.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mehbooba seeks release of people arrested for 'peaceful' protests against Khamenei's killing
Srinagar (PTI): Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Police to release those arrested for staging protests in the Valley against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israel strike on February 28.
“Scores of protesters, including women, have been arrested across Kashmir for peacefully participating in rallies in the wake of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's martyrdom.
“Authorities had assured their families that they would be released soon. But, unfortunately, this hasn't been the case. Urge Jammu and Kashmir Police to consider their release at the earliest,” Mufti said in a post on X.
ALSO READ: Villagers pelt stones at anti-encroachment team in MP’s Dhar district
Kashmir, which is home to about 15 lakh Shias, saw major protests at the Lal Chowk and Saida Kadal in Srinagar, Budgam, Bandipora, Anantnag and Pulwama after the news of Khamenei's killing spread, forcing the authorities to impose restrictions, which were lifted on Saturday morning.
While the protests were largely peaceful, minor clashes broke out at a few places between the security forces and the protesters, prompting the former to use force to maintain law and order.
The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israeli and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
In the last few days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.
