Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 381
381 that these are the prime causes of the mutual hatred. I do not agree with those who hold that the ill-feeling between the Hindus and the Muhammadans is not due to religious differences, but that it is solely due to political rivalry. Every body can easily understand why the Muhammadans shrink from joining with the Hindus in claiming their lawful rights. Why did they always keep aloof from the Congress, and why at last when they saw that the fundamental principle on which the educated Hindus were acting was a right one, did they actually follow the example sec by the Hindus, but not by joining the Congress but by starting a congress of their own, the All-India Moslem League ? How can we 'account for the fact that though they have begun to do tbe very same thing that the Congress has been doing, yet they have not liked to join hands with the Hindus ? Brethren ! the real cause of this is to be found in religion alone. If these very Hindus embrace the Muhammadans to-day with the holy formula, 'There is no god 'but Allah, and Muhammad is His Apostle, on their lips, or if the Muharnmadans embrace Hinduism and begin to worship agni, j etc. , according to the injunction of the Veda, bidding fare- to Islam, all the differences that are now termed political will at once disappear, as if they had no existence at all. This shows that what lies at the root of the mutual hatred is religious antagonism. . It is this religious antagonism which when carried to extreme. has caused streams of blood to flow. My Muhamma- dan brethren, since the Hindus look upon you as an alien people owing to your professing a different religion, and you regard them as an alien people for the same reason, it is impossible that your minds should be purged of hatred, unless the real cause that lies at the bottom of this hatred is removed'- You: may join hands with each other for soine-time like hypocrites, but real peace and