'This is just the beginning. You have to wait and watch to see things getting better.'
The All India Imam Organisation marked its 50th anniversary on July 24 with an unprecedented event titled Samvad (dialogue), bringing together over 60 prominent imams, maulanas and muftis from across the country.
What made the occasion truly historic was the presence of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, whose organisation is commemorating its centenary this year.
The RSS was founded on September 27, 1925, and the aim of the organisation was to promote Hindu culture and establish a Hindu Rashtra in India.
In these circumstances, a closed-door dialogue was held with Bhagwat and imams across India for four hours that focused on bridging the religious divide and fostering long-term understanding between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
Rediff's Syed Firdaus Ashraf spoke to Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organisation (AIIO), who organised the event to know more.
What was your meeting with Mohan Bhagwat all about?
July 24 was an important day for us. Fifty years ago, our organisation, the All India Imam Organisation, was formed.
This year also happens to be the 100th year of the formation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, as it was established in 1925.
Therefore, we invited Bhagwatji for our event, which was called Samvad.
He honoured our event by coming to our place. We had invited 60 different imams and muftis from different mosques and madrasas to attend the event.
Samvad means dialogue. What was this dialogue all about with the RSS chief then?
Our programme started at 9 am on Thursday morning and ended at 1 pm. We had a dialogue with him for nearly four hours.
We discussed all the issues concerning the interest of the nation.
It was decided in the meeting that the RSS and the Imam Organisation will continue the dialogue and take things forward in the future.
We also suggested that this dialogue should continue and its impact must be seen on the ground.
And how do you plan to achieve it?
Right now, we decided that there has to be a dialogue between different mandirs and masjids in our country.
There has to be a dialogue between the pujaris of mandirs and the maulanas of masjids across the country.
There also needs to be a dialogue between the madrasas and gurukuls across the country.
There are 5.5 lakh (550,000) masjids and 7 lakh (700,000) mandirs in India.
There are around 6 lakh (600,000) gurukuls and 4.5 lakh (450,000) madrasas.
So we feel that if there is a dialogue between them, then it will be in the interest of our country.
This sounds like a huge task. I am repeating my question: How do you plan to achieve it?
Allah helps those who want to unite people. Thursday's programme was like a worship programme to clear misunderstandings between two communities.
Dialogue is the only solution for any problem. When you have a dialogue with each other, you build trust.
This is for the first time in the history of the RSS that so many maulanas attended a event.
The perception among Indian Muslims is that the RSS is an anti-Muslim organisation.
When there are differences, only then is dialogue needed.
And therefore, we are going ahead with the dialogue.
Yesterday, we started the dialogue and the building of trust has begun.
You also attended the pran pratishtha for the Ram temple in Ayodhya; perhaps you were the only Muslim cleric to attend the event.
But we see the Muslim community does not trust the RSS and especially the BJP. Why so?
Our meeting was not about politics. We are not concerned with politics. We want to see the interest of the nation.
We don't discuss parties or individuals.
What issues will promote brotherhood? What issues did you speak about with Mr Bhagwat?
The meeting was not to discuss issues but to give suggestions.
And the only intention was to promote brotherhood between the two communities for the betterment and progress of our beloved country.
Did you raise any apprehension that the Muslim community has about the RSS being anti-Muslim?
We spoke with an open heart. And we discussed a lot of things that were in the interest of the nation.
How were you able to convince other imams across the country to attend the meeting with the RSS chief?
This was not a programme but ibadat, or you can call it puja. There was no politics involved.
This is just the beginning. You have to wait and watch to see things getting better.
Allah will do things for good in the future.
The RSS' core ideology is perceived to be anti-Muslim. Can you comment on this?
This can be a personal observation of an individual. I cannot comment on what others are thinking about the RSS.
What I think about the RSS is important for me. And I think dialogue is the only way forward for any problem or any issue.
If there are any issues to be solved between the two communities in the interest of the nation, we will sit together and solve them amicably.
What happens to your dialogue with the RSS when the BJP government in Assam is going on a demolition drive against Muslims? Did any such topic come up in your discussion with Mr Bhagwat?
We were talking about national interest, and here you are asking me a question on a particular state.
I am talking of religion and humanity, but you want me to talk on politics.
But the demolition drive in Assam is a real issue for Indian Muslims. They feel that they are becoming homeless just because they are Muslims.
Did the RSS chief speak about such issues? Or was the discussion only about Hindu-Muslim unity rallies?
You have to wait for the results. We are speaking for the first time in our history, and so is the RSS in its 100-year-old history.
We are confident that the outcome of our meeting will be good and for the betterment of our country. You please wait till then.