A CONVERSATION

A CONVERSATION Everyone is susceptible to making mistakes in this world of trials and tests. Making a mistake is not a crime. The actual wrongdoing lies in not openly admitting one’s mistakes after realizing them. Only when Muslim leaders openly acknowledge their mistakes will Muslims be able to grasp the underlying issues and avoid repeating them in the future. A CONVERSATION The New York Times, January 27, 2012 This interview, originally featured in The New York Times, has been published on their website along with the following note: “Following the controversy surrounding author Salman Rushdie’s appearance at the Jaipur Literature Festival (Jan 20-24, 2012), which culminated in the cancellation of even a planned video conference with Mr. Rushdie, India Ink spoke with Muslim leaders to discuss the situation. They shared their thoughts on Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ and explored whether political factors were involved. Malavika Vyawahare interviewed Maulana Wahiduddin Khan at his residence in New Delhi to gather his opinion on the matter.” Excerpts from the interview are presented below: Q. What is your reaction to the protests against Salman Rushdie’s participation in the Jaipur Literature Festival? A. These protests were by a tiny minority, who are not representative of the Muslim community. The protesters were utterly wrong in doing what they did. Salman Rushdie has every right to come to this country.