Islam occupies a unique position of pride in India: NSA

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: Asserting that terrorism is not linked to any religion, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said it is no coincidence that despite there being around 200 million Muslims, the involvement of Indian citizens in global terrorism has been "incredibly low".

Doval was speaking at an event here organised by the Khusro Foundation and the India Islamic Cultural Centre in honour of Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who is on an India visit.

"Amongst its numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride with India being home to the second largest Muslim population in the world," Doval said.

"Terrorism is not linked to any religion, it is the individuals that get misguided," he added. Hailing the "excellent" relations between India and Saudi Arabia, Doval said the ties are rooted in shared cultural heritage, common values and economic ties.

"The Holy Quran emphasises the importance of unity and understanding among people from diverse backgrounds, he said.