NEW DELHI: Sustained democracy over the last seven decades is the reason behind Indian
Muslims not falling to the "temptations" of Islamist violence, Union minister M J Akbar said on Monday.
The ideas of democracy, gender equality, gender empowerment and economic equity, are going to be the substantial answers to the ideology of terrorism, the minister of state for external affairs said.
"Today, the reason why Indian Muslims are not falling victim to the temptation of Islamist violence is because, and I hope I am not wrong in saying, that Indian Muslims are the only Muslims in the world who have enjoyed seven decades of sustained democracy," Akbar said.
He was delivering a keynote address at a seminar on 'Tackling Insurgent Ideologies' organised by the Observer Research Foundation here.