KOZHIKODE, 23 December 2002 — A major Islamic conference organized by the Mujahid movement in Kerala has called for an alliance of secular organizations to counter the growing threat of communalism in India. In a motion passed by the conference, the organizers urged the Congress Party to play a leading role in the inevitable battle against communal forces.
Sheikh Hamoud Alshimamry, director general of Islamic Education Foundation in Jeddah, inaugurated the four-day conference which ended on Saturday. More than 200,000 people including a large number of non-Muslims attended the gathering.
In his inaugural address, Alshimamry said Islam was totally against extremism.
Syed Hamid, chancellor of Hamdard University and former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, P.S. Sridharan Pillai, vice president of BJP in Kerala, V.V. Dakshina Moorthi, Communist Party-Marxist, Binoy Vishwam, Communist Party-India and Dr. Azad Mooppan of Malabar Institute of Medical Science (MIMS) also addressed the conference organized by the Madawoor group of Kerala Nadwathul Mujahideen (KNM).
In his concluding remarks, moderator Hussein Madawoor urged Muslim organizations to settle their differences through constructive and meaningful dialogue.