Saudi Gazette HYDERABAD — The divine religion of Islam is the panacea for all problems facing the humanity, said Maulana Jalaluddin Umari, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), while urging Jamaat members and followers to double their efforts to spread the message of Islam among all Indians. Umari made this comment while opening a four-day conference of JIH members at Wadi Huda in Pahadi Sharief, Hyderabad titled "Islamic Movement in the Changing Scenario." Nearly 10,000 members from 23 Indian states, Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries are attending the convention. In his keynote address, Umari lamented that 80% of people in the world do not know that Islam is their religion as well. He expressed confidence that a huge majority of Indians do not harbor a negative opinion about Islam and we need to capitalize upon their goodwill. "We have gathered here to acquire new zeal, to acquaint ourselves with the activities of Jamaat from all over India to get inspired and work together with greater enthusiasm to propagate the divine message of Allah and extend various services to all sections of society," the president said. "We have to strive to establish Islam in all aspects of life. Islam belongs to everyone and is meant for all ages and situations and is the solution for all our problems as well as individual and collective issues of people, irrespective of race, community or religion," the president said. "We are proud and happy that Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is following the Prophets' way and mission in letter and spirit, which demands to inculcate in ourselves the zeal and strength of the prophets," he told JIH members. The president stressed the need to be steadfast at times of distress and difficulty. He observed that Islamic movements were facing stiff oppositions when Islam was presented as a complete way of life including politics. "They were unfairly accused of extremism and violence. We have seen peaceful and popular Islamic movements suppressed by military might," Umari said while reiterating that Islam does not permit violence and compulsion. "JIH is of the firm opinion that the only way to propagate Islam is by mobilizing public opinion in its favor through peaceful and educational means," he said. "JIH will cooperate with all like-minded institutions as it does not consider any organization its enemy or rival. The basic ideology of JIH appeals to the entire Ummah. We empathize with the concerns of our fellow countrymen and strive to solve them because we consider social service as part and parcel our religion," Umari said. He stressed Jamaat's efforts to introduce and promote Islamic values. He also made it clear that JIH does not directly participate in elections but supports those parties, which it believes would uphold the democratic values of the country. Speaking about the recent rise of intolerance in India, the president said: "Nobody is allowed to take away the freedom of expression from our people. The constitutional rights of minorities should not be at the mercy of the majority." The conference began on Friday after Juma sermon which was delivered by Maulana Ejaz Aslam giving the message that every Muslim should be an embodiment of the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him.) Mujtaba Farooq, chairman of the organizing committee, said the meeting was not for the sake of meeting but to discuss the various issues facing Muslims at national and international levels and adopt proper strategies. JIH General Secretary Muhammad Salim presented a report highlighting the organization's progress and the impact of its activities, especially its services for Muslims and non-Muslims including victims of natural calamities. Jamaat has encouraged the use of social media for the dissemination of Islamic message, especially among the youth. JIH has been in the forefront of campaigns against IS terror group.
