Islam and Peace
Co-existence of Religions in India
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discord over this mosque for a long period of time
until, finally, on December 6, 1992, a group of
Hindus took it upon themselves to demolish it.
It is important to understand that this tragedy took
place because of certain misguided policies of
political leaders and not because of religious
intolerance. That is why no notable Hindu or non-
Hindu ever came forward to justify the demolition
of the Babri Masjid. And that is also why – with the
exception of the Babri Masjid – approximately
350,000 mosques in India are still intact. They are all
safe and secure, and are functioning as centres of
religious worship and practice. Another point
worth noting is that Justice P.K. Bahri has ruled in
his 340-page verdict that the demolition of the
disputed structure at Ayodhya was not pre-
planned. (The Times of India, June 9, 1993)
Here I should like to emphasize that one religion
versus another religion is quite a different matter
from one community versus another community. So
far as religion in itself is concerned, it is a fact that
religious coexistence has always been found in its
ideal form throughout the history of India.
