Ambassadors and diplomats from 19 Muslim-majority countries hailed India's strong ties with the Islamic world, highlighting how these ties have grown under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership over the past ten years. They had gathered for the 'Sadbhavana Iftar,' an event hosted by the Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) at the New Delhi residence of Rajya Sabha MP and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu on Thursday evening.

The gathering highlighted India's strong and historic connections with the Islamic world. Diplomats recognised PM Modi's efforts in building strategic, economic, and cultural partnerships with Muslim nations. Ambassadors and diplomats from Somalia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Syria, Gambia, Mali, Bangladesh, Sudan, Djibouti, Algeria, Malawi, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Iraq, Cote d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates were present at the event. Islamic scholars, religious leaders, intellectuals, and social reformers such as Himani Sood, a co-founder of the IMF, Majid Alnekhailawi, Maulana Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi, and Haji Syed Salman Chishty were also present. Participants prayed for peace, harmony, and prosperity in India and the world before breaking their fast. Ambassadors from countries with a majority of Muslims spoke during the event, highlighting India's close relations with the Islamic world. They highlighted India's increasing involvement in the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia, especially in fostering economic and security ties.

"India's engagement with the Gulf region, which supplies over 60 per cent of its crude oil, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) nations, with which bilateral trade exceeds USD 200 billion, has become more robust and multifaceted under PM Modi's leadership in the past 10 years," they said. They also recognised India's growing diplomatic influence in international issues, as PM Modi was bestowed with the highest civilian honours by a number of nations with a majority of Muslims. The ambassadors emphasised India's steadfast support for peace and stability in international disputes involving Muslim countries. They pointed out that "India has long positioned itself as a strong advocate for peace, stability, and dialogue in global conflicts involving the Muslim world, from Palestine to Afghanistan." They emphasised India's backing for Gaza's humanitarian assistance and a two-state solution for Palestine. Additionally, they expressed gratitude for India's involvement in Afghanistan, saying, "India has played a constructive role by investing in critical infrastructure, education and healthcare to improve the lives of the Afghan people."

The ambassadors highlighted that India has never attacked any Muslim-majority country and has always followed diplomacy as a key part of its foreign policy. Satnam Singh Sandhu, a Rajya Sabha MP, emphasised India's history of inclusiveness and coexistence by saying, "Ramzan is not just a religious observance; it is a time for reflection, generosity and community bonding--a sentiment that India deeply values and upholds. India has always been a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious society, where every faith has co-existed in harmony for ages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has further strengthened this spirit of oneness and brotherhood amongst Indians over the past decade by ensuring the progress of every community irrespective of any discrimination through his 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' mantra, reflecting India's inclusive ethos." Ambassadors also discussed India's increasing influence in the Global South and its support for developing countries.

Zimbabwe's Minister Plenipotentiary, Edson Moyo, commended India's technological innovations and their influence on world progress. "India and Zimbabwe share strong bilateral ties. India has always stood by Zimbabwe. We have focused on economic diplomacy and continued to move together. Artificial intelligence is one new area where India is moving forward rapidly. India has become the fastest developing country in the world. India can help in technology transfer." He added, "We have a lot to learn from the social sector and particularly the IT sector in India. India's role as a technology transfer hub is very important. We are very excited to learn about the UPI payment system in India; it indeed is a great experience to pay by UPI. You don't have to carry cash; everything is done electronically. We are also working to introduce a UPI-like system in our country. We are looking to establish more collaborations with India." The High Commissioner of Gambia to India, Mustapha Jawara, praised India for its leadership in promoting global peace and its significant role in international diplomacy. "During Covid, India donated Gambia lots of vaccines, and that saved so many lives. We are grateful to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and his government for that."

He further said, "He (PM Modi) is the leader of the Global South. I will say that the Prime Minister (Modi) is the best of the best. In the Global South, we love him. He is a global leader. He has shown this during the G20, and we in the Global South are proud of him for his role. It's because of him, our Continent, Africa, has a representation in the G20. So we are grateful for that. He is championing our rights at all levels. So we have nothing but to thank him."

Regarding India's dedication to peaceful cohabitation, he said, "India is an example as the second-largest Muslim country as far as I know. Me as a Muslim, has been invited to a function by a non-Muslim. That is a testament to that." He also praised India's diplomatic efforts, stating, "Because of India, there is peace in the world. If it were not India and the Prime Minister (Modi), the issue between Russia and Ukraine would have gone to another level." Sudan's Education Counsellor, Mohamed Ali Fazari, said, "India is championing the cause of the Global South along with other developing and developed countries. India is a leading country in the world in terms of helping many other nations across the world. The relationship between India and African nations has strengthened over the years. We have seen how India helped many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Fariduddin Faridasr, Iran's Cultural Counsellor, emphasised the historical and cultural connections between India and Iran. He said, "What is common between India and Iran is that the Prime Ministers of both nations are connected to their soil, rooted in their culture, heritage and value system. India and Iran shared strong bilateral ties in the past and they will continue to strengthen it further in future as well. Due to these shared beliefs of PMs of both the nations, bilateral relations between India and Iran will be strengthened further. Supremacy of law is the soul of secularism, and India has that unique power of secularism which is one amongst the many reasons that India will progress further as it gives respect and love to people from all communities equally." During the ceremony, an Iraqi representative also reaffirmed India's commitment to inclusive development. Iraq's representative said, "India is a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-community nation, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the whole country is united to work for one cause of Viksit Bharat. The relationship between India and Iraq is growing in all the fields. The minority communities have been looked after with care and affection in India.