Prime Minister Narendra Modi innaugrates World Sufi forum 2016

In a bid to spread Islams message of peace and tolerance as a counterpoint to the rising global violent extremism, the first World Sufi Forum has been innaugrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 17.

The four-day event, being organised by All India Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), a non-profit institute, has invited leading global Sufi scholars, academicians, social workers as participants from 20 countries including Pakistan, a release from AIUMB said.

"We believe it is high time for us to create a platform to seriously ponder over the radical interpretations of Islam by terror groups for political gains. The spread of terror and tyranny by jihadist forces in Syria and other parts of the world has damaged the image of Islam more than ever before.

"However, we are of the belief that Indian Muslims can provide a real alternative to all the bloodshed being spilled across the world in the name of Islam by promoting their rich history of Sufism," AIUMB founder-president Syed Muhammad Ashraf said in the release.

Asserting that any extremist organisation waving Islamic flags and misusing the holy Quran such as Daesh and ISIS have actually "no endorsement in the ambit of Islam", he said, they are nothing but terror outfits which are tarnishing the image of Islam.

"It is therefore important to realise and unearth the propaganda of such people and organisations that are funded by foreign entities to spread hatred and intolerance to disrupt peace and harmony in a country such as India," he added.

Sufism stands for peace, tolerance and unconditional love and AIUMB aims to promote these virtues of Islam through our World Sufi Forum event, he said.

"Through World Sufi Forum we intend to make India the global centre for moderate ideology in Islam," added Ashraf.

AIUMB, a Sunni-Sufi organisation is set up primarily to counter radicalisation of Muslims.