India is the “land of spirituality and philosophy”. Religious Diversity and tolerance has been established in India by law as well as custom. Some of the world’s important religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism etc originated in India. Religion has an important role to play in the lives of Indians.
The humanity that India represents today is a product of a civilization 12,000 years or more old. The spirit of tolerance and assimilation are the hallmarks of this civilization. Never has the question of communal harmony and social integration raised such a wide range of emotions as today. The gradual and painful change of each man’s allegiance from his own ethnic group to a wider circle of the entire social milieu constitutes one of the great revolutions of our time.
Lasting harmony between heterogeneous communities can only come through recognition of the ‘oneness of mankind’, a realization that differences that divide us along ethnic and religious lines have no foundation. Just as there are no boundaries drawn on the earth to separate nations, distinctions of social, economic, ethnic and religious identity imposed by peoples are artificial; they have only benefited those with vested interests. On the other hand, naturally occurring diverse regions of the planet, or the country, such as mountain and plains, each have unique benefits. The diversity created by God has infinite value, while distinctions imposed by man have no substance.
Mr. Ismail a social activist and entrepreneur, hailing from Salem, Tamil Nadu, South India, committed to religious tolerance and communal harmony felt the need deep in his heart to unite people of all religions and establish peace and harmony not only in India but world over. The seed of good intention which was planted deep in his heart gave birth to a movement called “All Religious People Solidarity and Peace Movement”.