Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues — Page xxi
Preface to the First Edition xxi been considerable debate on inter-religious harmony in view of the renewed fatwa on blasphemy. Enormous changes have taken place after the collapse of communism in East European countries. The UN’s Security Council has acquired a new role. In Great Britain, the interest rate policy has precipitated economic recession. All these issues and events, and indeed many more, were fully and squarely discussed beforehand in this address. Alas! Had we gone to print earlier? All that remains to be said is a humble reminder to the reader that the Speaker dictated the text of this address in early 1990 when the omens for these changes were yet in their formative stage. Seldom is a warning given in such clear terms. The message is timeless and relates to the future prospects for peace for the entire world. If the speaker is proved right in most of his ‘predictions’, as he has already been proved right in some of them, it would only be appropriate for the leaders of the world to take the message of this address seriously and make a genuine attempt to draw the maximum benefit out of it in the shaping of the new world order. May God enable them to do so! Amen. Mansoor A. Shah London: July 1992