Jordan King Abdullah addresses conference with Narendra Modi, says global terror war not against any religion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the fight against terrorism and radicalisation was not against any religion, but against a mindset that misguides the young.

Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address at a conference on ‘Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding & Moderation’, where Jordan’s King Abdullah II was also present.

India, the prime minister added, had been a “cradle of all major religions in the world”. Indian democracy is a celebration of age old pluralism, Modi said.

According to him, all faiths promote human values. “… therefore, our youth should associate themselves with the humanitarian aspects of Islam and should also able to use modern technology”, he said.

Sharing his views on religion, Abdullah II said faith should hold humanity together. He said that the global war against terror was not a fight between different religions but between moderates and extremists. “Today’s global war against terror is not a fight between different religions or people. It is between moderates of all faiths and communities against extremism, hate and violence,” the King said. “What is heard in the news and what is shown about religion is what separates people,” he said.

He added that around the world, suspicions are inflamed by what different groups don’t know about others. “Such ideologies of hate distort the word of God — to stir up conflicts and justify crimes and terror. “We need to take these things seriously… they should never be allowed to distract us from the truth that faith should draw humanity together.”

He said faith inspires countries like India and Jordan where different religious and ethnic groups have lived together. Faith allows us to prosper and thrive, he said while emphasising that people should reject voices which spread hatred. “Our strongest defence against turmoil is inclusion,” he said.

“These values put us together to act for our coming future,” he said.

The Jordanian King arrived on Tuesday on a three-day state visit. Earlier in February, he had hosted Modi in Amman.