Sareshwala: Agitation and confrontation doesn’t get Muslims anywhere

Zafar Yunus Sareshwala, CEO of the Mumbai-based Parsoli Corporation Ltd. and a close associate of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says it is important for the Muslims of the world, particularly Indian Muslims, to leave agitation and confrontation behind as miscommunication creates false impressions, resulting in their alienation and isolation.

Sareshwala was a victim of the 2002 Gujarat riots, a three-day period of inter-communal Hindu-Muslim violence in the western Indian state of Gujarat followed by further outbreaks of mass killings against the minority Muslim population for three months. He explained how he became a supporter of Prime Minister Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, during an interview with Today's Zaman.

Kimse Yok Mu charity gives dignity to the poor

Impressed by the works of Kimse Yok Mu, a charity inspired by the views of the Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen which holds official UN consultative status, Sareshwala says the way Kimse Yok Mu conveys aid to people in need gives dignity back to the poor. That is what Muslims need to follow, even when they give zakah (alms) to the poor, Sareshwala added.

Sareshwala says Kimse Yok Mu plays an important role in social harmony by involving small, medium and large-sized corporations in charity work and bringing all sections of the community together to help each other.

After visiting the Kimse Yok Mu headquarters and Fatih University in İstanbul, Sareshwala noted that Fethullah Gülen, being one of the most important Islamic scholars not only in Turkey but also in the world, is important to Muslims by his example in educating youth and engaging in dialogue with people from different communities all over the world.

Excerpted from the article published on Sunday's Zaman, 30 November 2014, Sunday