ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS

ACROSS THREE CONTINENTS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES Travelling is mentioned as an attribute of a believer. (9: 112) Travelling introduces a person to the wonders of God scattered across the earth. It gives perspective, insight and valuable lessons to lead a worthy life. In December 1985, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan represented India in an Islamic Conference held in Bamako, a town in Mali. Setting out from Delhi Palam Airport (now Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi) on December 4, 1985, he reached Bamako via Rome and the Senegalese capital, Dakar. The return journey was undertaken by way of Paris, London, Kuwait, and Dubai. Here are some excerpts from Maulana’s account of his impressions and experiences of his one-week journey across three continents. This is the second part of a two-part series. IMPRESSIONS AND LESSONS The Conference The Bamako Islamic Conference was inaugurated on the evening of December 6, 1985. The Malian Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and Education were present at the opening ceremony along with other dignitaries. The three working languages were Arabic, English and French. The conference was attended by delegates from various parts of the world. As was pointed out by the Kuwaiti delegate: “We have come from the western portions of the earth and from its eastern portions.” Muslim intellectuals from the following countries took part: Canada, Mali, Cyprus, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Switzerland, Madagascar, England, North America, Brazil, Sudan, Kenya, India, Turkey, Kuwait, Pakistan, Guyana, Syria, Philippines, Ghana, Gambia, Holland, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Korea, Tunisia, Nigeria, Yemen and Japan. Learning to Listen I am more in the habit of listening than of speaking, and, during the conference, I kept up this habit. When one of the participants commented on my not speaking as much as the others, I told him that I