"The Corridor of Peace," a Commentary by Farzand Ahmed

January 17, 2008

Author: Farzand Ahmed

Source: India Today

http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/the-corridor-of-peace-3.html

In December last year, All India Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Council, a Sufi organisation, led a peace march to Parliament, holding placards that read: “Islam says killing of one innocent is killing of humanity. Sufi Corridor can play an important role in establishing peace and unity.”

Despite the overly idealistic veneer, it marks an important milestone in the fight against Islamic terrorism. The Sufis in India are low profile but number close to 10 crore and their religious centres are spread across the country (see map).

The movement to create a Sufi Corridor of peace is therefore a nationwide movement. Several Sufi scholars and saints belonging to various dargahs and khanqahs (Islamic seminaries) had gathered in Delhi recently to formally identify the corridor which stretches from Kashmir to Kerala, Gujarat to West Bengal.

The objective of the movement is to connect all Sufi centres with a view to uniting people against terrorism and try and prevent attacks at places sacred to both Hindus and Muslims. Sufism is based on the principle that “all people are the children of God on earth”.