Mangaluru: “Religion is just a medium that brings about a relationship between the creator and his creation, and there should not be any mediator between these two,” said Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
He was addressing the gathering during a session titled “Islam in India: The Road Ahead” organised on the final day of “Lit Fest” at the TMA Pai International Convention Centre on Saturday, November 29. He said, “I don’t believe in those who project themselves as the arbitrator of God or claim that they are the ‘God’. One can find God in every creature and God cannot be confined to only one set of believers, community or religion. The purpose of religion is not to separate people but unite them.”
“Opposing the beliefs of one is not religious, but accepting and respecting the views of others is the essence of religion. The followers of Islam and those who are prejudiced against Islam should change their mindset. One should not misinterpret the Islamic religion, and every religion focuses on non-violence and peace,” Khan stressed.
When responding to a query on the recently-delivered Ayodhya temple verdict and how some Muslim leaders are still not pleased, Khan said that everyone was aware of the facts now. “As there is a stiff competition amongst such leaders for the leadership position, some people might have opposed the verdict. Hence, I don’t want to say much about that,” he said.
R Jagannathan was the moderator of the session.
