ASK MAULANA

ASK MAULANA Your Questions Answered The issue of terrorism engaged in by self-styled Islamic groups seems to be becoming even more serious. Almost every day now there is a terrorist attack by such groups somewhere. Given this: What makes you continue to be hopeful—about peace, including and especially among Muslims and between Muslims and others? My hopes are based on nature. I believe that radicalized Muslims are misguided. Muslims’ case is that they consider their violent acts as Islam. This thinking of theirs is based on a ‘jihadi’ interpretation of Islam. In comparison to this, I present an interpretation of Islam based on dawah. Thousands of Muslims all over the world have corrected and reformed their thinking after reading my writings, because they found them in accordance with their inner nature. This phenomenon has created hope in me in that I believe that others too can similarly be changed along peaceful lines. I continually make an effort to change the minds of people. From past experience, I can say that when people’s minds are addressed they abandon violence in favour of peace. You continue to write on these issues with great passion. What drives you? In 1967, I had started my mission of peace in New Delhi. At that time, a Delhi-based Muslim magazine wrote an article critical of me, bearing the title ‘A Lonely Voice’. However, in the past 40 years my way of thinking has been adopted by thousands of people in India as well as abroad; these people have become part of my peace mission. This positive experience is my driving force. I am certain that a person can deny everything else, but he cannot deny his own nature. Thus those who, after reading my writings, discover the truth cannot afford to deny it any more. This fact has been proved true in the past and with God’s help it will be proved correct in the future on a greater scale. At your age and given how serious the situation today is, someone else might have given up all hope for a better, more peaceful world. He might have turned cynical and bitter. He might have lost all interest in these issues. He might have felt that trying to transform others and the world is pointless. But not you! What continues to inspire you to