National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride with India being home to the second largest Muslim population in the world.

Doval’s remarks came during an event in New Delhi at the India Islamic Cultural Centre where Muslim World League Secretary General Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdulkarim?Al-Issa, who is on an India visit, also addressed the gathering, reported PTI.

The report said Doval hailed Al-Issa as an authentic global voice of moderate Islam and a profound scholar with a deep understanding of Islam.

Doval said ?the "excellent" relations between India and Saudi Arabia were rooted in shared cultural heritage, common values and economic ties.

"Our leaders share a common vision for the future and have been closely interacting with each other," Doval was quoted as having said.

He said India as the world's largest democracy and the mother of democracies is a land of incredible diversity.

"In your (Al-Issa) talk you elaborately mentioned diversity as a fundamental trait of our existence. It (India) has been a melting pot of cultures, religions, languages and ethnicities that have co-existed in harmony for centuries. As an inclusive democracy, India has successfully managed to provide space for all its citizens regardless of their religious, ethnic and cultural identities," he said.

"Amongst its numerous religious groups, Islam occupies a unique and significant position of pride with India being home to the second largest Muslim population in the world," he said.

Doval said India's Muslim population is almost equal to the combined population of over 33 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
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