Jesus In India — Page 23
INTRODUCTION 13 2. Punitive War-blood for blood; 3. War to Establish Freedom-to break the hold of those who kill converts to Islam. Thus, since there is no guidance in Islam that anyone should be converted by force or by threat to one's life, it is simply absurd and pointless to await the appearance of any bloodthirsty Mahdi or bloodthirsty Messiah. This is so because it is impossible that, contrary to the teaching of the Holy Quran, some such person should appear who would convert people to Islam by the sword. Now, this was not something that defied comprehension or was too difficult to understand. Only the ignorant have been led to this belief because of selfishness. Most of our clerics happen to labour under the delusion that wars waged by the Mahdi will bring them great wealth, so much so, that they will not be able to handle it. And since these days, most of the maulavis [Muslim clerics] of this country are so poverty stricken, they are eagerly waiting for the Mahdi to appear, who, they think, will satisfy their baser appetites. Little wonder, therefore, if these people turn against anyone who does not believe in the appearance of such a Mahdi. Such a person is at once denounced as an apostate, and outside the pale of Islam. For these very reasons I too am an apostate in their eyes, since I do not believe in the coming of a bloodthirsty Mahdi and a bloodthirsty Messiah and I detest such absurd beliefs. But this is not the only reason why they denounce me as an apos- tate. Of course, I do not believe in the coming of an imaginary Messiah and Mahdi which they believe in. But there is also an added reason, which is that I have publicly proclaimed that God Almighty has revealed to me that the real Promised Messiah who