The Message or A Cry of Anguish — Page 25
THE MESSAGE OR A CRY OF ANGUISH 25 has provoked our civilised opponents. If this pathetic Anjuman indeed holds this view as has been published by The Observer, then it has certainly committed a grave error in sending a memo- rial to the Government against the clergymen. It would be more just if they had sent a memorial against me since all these books were written purely on my provocation and incitement. Also I would like to mention here with an earnest heart that if someone believes it to be true that I am the one who initiated this abusive language, and my writings alone have provoked peo- ple of other faiths to insult and denigrate [Islam], then let such a person, whether it be the editor of The Observer or a member of Anjuman-e-Himāyat-e-Islām or anyone else, establish that all this abusive invective, starting from Reverend Pfander to Ummahātul-Mu'minin and Indarman to Lekh Ram, was caused by me alone, then, by way of penalty, I am ready to pay them one thousand rupees in cash. For the truth is that I believe, on the one hand, that one should never be the first to cast aspersions on opponents, and if they take the lead even then one should remain steadfast as far as possible, except when it looks appropriate to act according to the need of the time in order to suppress the fury of the masses. On the other hand if my practical conduct is such as makes me guilty of raising all this tumult on account of which our opponents were provoked into composing thousands of treatises and publishing them throughout the country, and committing all kinds of insults and slanders resulting in severe hostility and enmity between the peoples, then in such a case, I surely deserve every penalty and punishment. It is not at all difficult to settle this issue. If someone were to keep company with me for an hour I