Vatican's Ramadan message delivered to Indian Muslim scholar

The Vatican message comes from Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Commission for Interreligious Dialogue.

India:  A team of Jesuit scholars promoting inter-religious activity in India have visited Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and delivered Vatican's message to Muslims, wishing them a joyful month of Ramzan and Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan.

Jesuit Father Thomas V Kunnunkal, President of Islamic Studies Association (Delhi), along with Indologist and retired theology professor Father T. K. John and Jesuit theologians P.R. John and Victor Edwin of Vidyajyti College of Theology met the Muslim leader in his New Delhi house on Monday.

The Vatican message comes from Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Commission for Interreligious Dialogue. It has become customary for the Vatican commission to issue such messages to Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists on their annual feast days.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is a noted Islamic scholar and peace activist. He has received, among others, the Demiurgus Peace International Award, under the patronage of the former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. He also received Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honor and several other national and international recognitions considering his peace activities.

He has also translated the Quran in simple and contemporary English and has written a commentary on the Qur’an.

The Vatican message stressed peace and said violence becomes even more heinous when come in the name of religion. “No one can kill another in the name of God …This would be a double crime: against God and against the person himself.”

“There is great need of our prayer: for justice, for peace and security in the world; for those who are far from the right path of life and who commit violence in the name of religion, that they might return to God and change [their] life; for the poor and the sick," the message said.

It wished that "the fruits of Ramadan and the joy of ‘Id al-Fitr may bring about peace and prosperity, enhancing your human and spiritual growth.”

Maulana Khan received the letter and commented that the political interpretation of Islam is the root cause of Muslim militancy. He said that political interpretation of Islam is totally wrong and that it violates the spirit of the Quran.

He said the ideologues, who invented the political interpretation of Islam, were born in very politically turbulent times and thus their interpretation was affected by the times they lived and worked.

Press release