FROM MAULANA’S DESK

FROM MAULANA’S DESK 1. The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims 2018, Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, Jordan. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognized as one of its most influential Muslims1. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi. 125 YEARS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA IN THE WEST T HE seventh convention of the Parliament of World's religions was held recently in Toronto, Canada. This reminded me of the first time the 29-year-old Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) took to stage at the Parliament in Chicago 125 years ago to share perspectives on diversity and co-existence with intellectuals from across the globe. Swami Vivekananda made a sensational debut at the Parliament. He was initially nervous about delivering his speech but as he took the stage, he began by addressing his audience as ‘Sisters and Brothers of America!’ The hall resounded with a long burst of applause at his words and he received a standing ovation from the delegates and the crowd comprising several thousand people from world over. Today, as we have become increasingly global, the expression takes a larger dimension and has transformed into ‘Sisters and Brothers of the World!’ The President of Parliament of World’s Religions, John Henry Barrows later remarked about Vivekananda, calling him “the orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his audience.” The media splashed articles and special features on him and he was labelled as