Sumitra Mahajan with Asha Sharma (in blue) and Shanta Kumari (in green). Sumitra Mahajan with Asha Sharma (in blue) and Shanta Kumari (in green).

Claiming “Islam is not a religion, it’s a political aggression”, the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti, the women’s branch of the RSS, Wednesday said wherever Muslims are in majority, they create problems.

These remarks were made by Asha Sharma, Akhil Bhartiya Sahkaryavahika of the Samiti, at a seminar in New Delhi — the topic was ‘Religious Terrorism: A Global Threat’ — which was attended, among others, by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who was the guest of honour.

Sharma was critical of Islam: “Jahan Islam jaata hai, wahan par vidhwans saath lekar ke gaya hai. Yah itihas hai, isko hum inkaar nahin sakte (Wherever Islam goes, it brings destruction. This is history, we cannot deny this).”

Watch Video: What’s making news

Noting that “aaj bhi unki soch yahi hai (their mentality is still the same),” Sharma said: “Jahan dus per cent hain, wahan chup kar ke rahenge. 15 per cent ho gaye toh apni baat keh ke chup karenge. 25 per cent ho gaye toh apni baat ko manvane ka prayas karenge, aur adhik badh gaye to kisi aur ki baat sunenge nahi (Wherever they are ten per cent, they remain silent. If they are 15 per cent, they go quiet after making their point. Where they are 25 per cent, they ensure that people follow whatever they say. And if they are more than this, then they do not listen to anyone else.)”

Sharma said Islam has proliferated due to the absence of education, whereas Christianity has spread due to poverty. In the absence of these two factors, she said, these religions will disappear. “Jahan shiksha hai, wahan Islam nahi hai. Jahan jahan shiksha badh rahi hai, jahan samriddhi aayi hai, wahan ye dono sampraday dheere dheere khatam ho rahe hain… Jahan gareebi hai, wahan Christianity hai. Gareebi door hogi to Christianity ka prabhav dheere dheere kam hota jaata hai (Where there’s education, there is no Islam. In places where education is increasing, prosperity has come, these two religions have gradually declined… Christianity exists in areas where there is poverty. If poverty is removed, the influence of Christianity gets reduced gradually).”

Sharma said that the Samiti has taken up the task to fight terrorism and “this mentality”. “If women want, they can change the face of the world. If mothers want, they can change the thinking of the entire world,” she said.

Samiti speakers referred to Mahajan as a “sevika” who in turn called them “sakhi” (friends). Mahajan told the gathering that religion is a “misunderstood word” since “religion is not dharma, it is panth… there are so many panths in India… dharma is duty, whatever duty one does in life, it marks his dharma”.

Mahajan also referred to the Dhaka attack and said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rightly said “jo Ramzan ke dinon mein is prakaar se goliyaan chalane wala, Musalman ho hi nahin sakta (those who open fire during Ramzan cannot be Muslims)”.

The seminar was held to mark the birth anniversary of Samiti founder Laxmibai Kelkar. The Samiti’s Pramukh Sanchalika Shanta Kumari alias Shantakka was also present.

The Samiti has some three lakh members, and holds 4,350 shakhas daily across India, besides an active presence in 45 countries.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.