Dear Aamilsaab Shaikh Khuzaimabhai Yamani,
Dear Friends Shabbir bhai, Murtada Firoz bhai and others,
Brothers and Sisters of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Muscat,

Namaskar and As Salam Wa Alekum,

I am delighted to be with you this lovely evening. Thank you for this opportunity.

In February last year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji went to a Dawoodi Bohra community event in Indore, he said that he was there not as a Prime Minister but as a family member of the community.

This special sense of bonding that the Dawoodi Bohra community has with the Hon’ble Prime Minister is indeed emblematic of its basic ethos of universal brotherhood, peace and tolerance that it has followed and promoted everywhere its members have gone all over the world.

Today, the million-strong Bohra community is a proud, harmonious part of over 40 countries and in each of these countries, its members are known for their promotion of skills and education, empowerment of the girl child, commitment to social causes, selfless social service and universal brotherhood.

The Bohri community here in Oman is no exception. It has made a mark in the Omani society not only by preserving its own unique culture and traditions, but also making a meaningful contribution to the upliftment and development of the local social milieu in which it lives harmoniously. 

Members of the Bohra community can be seen in every major profession in the country, helping their Omani friends in the true tradition of friendship and harmony.

Dear Friends,

The world is going through a crucial phase. Even as we have made relentless strides in eradicating extreme poverty and promoting universal healthcare, the world still seems lost. 

In war, extremism and deprivation. 

Inequality seems to be on the rise, global politics is fragmented and we are burning down the house with climate change without a care for the future. 

Technology has enabled great changes in our own lifetime, but its rapid pace of change seems to have left us bereft. We are no longer sure if technology is a tool or increasingly becoming a master of our mind space.

This is a time when we need more education, not less. A time when we need more empathy, not less. A time that needs more tolerance, less hate, more understanding, less divisions, more cooperation, less conflict.

At a time like this, communal living - that is a sense of a shared heritage, sharing resources with each other, looking after the welfare of the poorest and most vulnerable and promoting education particularly for the girl child - assumes importance.

These are all ideals that the Bohra community lives, not just preaches. These are also quintessential Indian values. 

Inside every Bohra community member therefore, beats the heart of India.

The Bohra community preserves and nurtures its own values and heritage, but does not seek to impose it on others. This is an excellent model of plurality, peaceful coexistence and Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam. 

It practices honesty in profession and vocation, setting an example of morality and good citizenship. 

It considers it a mission for every girl child to receive education, helping them realize their true potential and promoting social wellbeing. 

It endeavors to ensure the welfare of each member of the community, through communal kitchens, simple living and charity.

These values are universal ideals and I have no doubt that the Bohra community will continue to set an example for the world to follow so that we are able to build a more stable, peaceful, prosperous world and bestow to the future generations a world that was better than what we received as ‘virasat’.

My congratulations to Aamilsaab Shaikh Khuzaimabhai Yamani, the Head of the Bohra community in Oman and all my Bohra brothers and sisters for living up the ideals set by their elders and for your contributions to the local Omani society.

Before I conclude, I pray to God Almighty to bestow to the Bohra community in Oman, countless blessings of peace, love and prosperity. 

May the Almighty give the community the strength to continue to promote goodness and wellbeing for the entire world, helping alleviating poverty, hunger and disease and promoting education, amity and brotherhood.

I convey, through all of you, my respects and sincere regards to His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin sahab.

Thank you once again for giving me and my family this honor to be with all of you and the privilege of eating together in the true Bohri tradition.

Thank you.