india

Updated: Dec 28, 2015 17:03 IST

Union home minister Rajnath Singh played down the IS threat, saying that while other countries were worried, “India doesn’t feel threatened as Indian Muslims, guided by Indian values have largely rejected the terrorist organisation.”

His comment came a day after a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh claimed that he received a threat from the IS.

Sharing the stage at a ‘Taleem ki Taqat’ (the power of education) with Zafar Sareshwala, chancellor of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University, at the Scientific Convention Centre, he said, “I am confident of this (that Indian Muslims have rejected the IS) and that’s because of Indian value system.” The union home minister also gave an example of a Mumbai-based family seeking his ministry’s help to ensure that one of their sons did not get misled.

“The family feared that one of their sons was getting influenced by the ISIS ideology and immediately informed the government. This is the Indian value system,” the union home minister said. Building the point further, he said, “India is perhaps the only country where all the 72 odd sects of Muslims live in peace. India also has the oldest church in Kerala.”

Read: 3 Hyderabad youngsters held at Nagpur airport for trying to join IS

Indian security establishment suggests that just 20-odd Indians are currently fighting for the banned outfit in Iraq and Syria. They include two youths from Kalyan on the outskirts of Mumbai, an Australia-based Kashmiri, one youth from Telangana, one from Karnataka, one Oman-based Indian and another Singapore-based Indian.

Singh pointed out without values even education is meaningless. “There are several Maoists who are well read and have several degrees. But education without values is meaningless,” he said.

“The Indian value system was in-built in the ancient education system of the country. We had a university even before the Oxford University came up in Britain,” he added.

The Union home minister said that the Britishers attempted to tell that India was cypher, but the concept of zero originated from here.

Singh said that life values of the country teach tolerance to the people. The values also teach not to discriminate of the basis of caste, religion and sect.

He said that India was the only country where all 72 sects of Muslims lived together. “It does not happen even in any Islamic country.”

“When the Persians were exiled from their own country, they were given most respect in India. It is the wonder of education and culture of this country,” he said.

(With agency inputs)