Islam is a religion of peace, has nothing to do with terrorism: PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said terrorism has nothing to do with religion and that Islam is a religion of peace.

In an address to the 56th Convention of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in Houston via video link, the prime minister said Islam is a religion of peace and teaches to live with peace. The act of one person cannot be attributed to that of the whole community.

“Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. Why are Muslims always considered as suspects? Muslim places of worship were also attacked in Europe,” he said.

“Before 9/11, the Tamil Tigers were involved in suicide bomb attacks. Terrorism is not related to any religion.  After 9/11, India named the Kashmiris fight for independence as terrorism. 

“To express the right the right of freedom does not mean that someone’s religious rights should be curtailed,” he asserted.

Current Indian regime follower of RSS: PM Imran

Speaking about the prevailing situation in Indian occupied Kashmir, the prime minister said the people of the valley have been under siege for the last 28 days.

India has suppressed Muslims in occupied Kashmir in the name of terrorism, PM Imran said.

“The current Indian regime is a follower of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS], a hatred and supremacist ideology. The West will have to understand the philosophy of RSS in order to think clearly about this problem. The same philosophy led to the carnage of Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat earlier,” PM Imran said.

You can look up at the RSS activities on the internet, he added.

The prime minister added we are talking about a country of one billion people, with nuclear weapons and extreme ideology and philosophy. "Kashmir is a disputed territory and its future is to be decided by a plebiscite of its people," PM Imran said.

“Nearly 1.9 million in the Indian state of Assam have been excluded from the citizenship list. RSS believes that there should only be Hindus in India.," PM Imran said. "The Modi government wants to change the demography of Kashmir. They have detained Kashmiri leadership. The world should see what is happening in occupied Kashmir. Thousands of people have been arrested in Kashmir.”

He continued, “India might resort to attacking Pakistan to try and divert the world's attention from its human rights abuses in Kashmir. We will a befitting response to India if it launched any aggression against us.”

“Pakistan will continue to strive for peace around the world. India has been taken over by an extremist point of view,” PM Imran added.

The prime minister further cautioned that the conflict between two nuclear-armed countries would not be limited and could have dangerous consequences. 

“I have spoken to the heads of Muslim states. I know there some people in India who still believe in the ideology of Nehru and Gandhi, but fear has crept in after the Modi government came into power. I hope the international community will play its role when it comes to the issue in Kashmir," PM Imran added.