The Message or A Cry of Anguish — Page 73
THE MESSAGE OR A CRY OF ANGUISH 73 I would say there is a strong likelihood of it instead of a slight probability unless the Muslim people are well-educated. Yet I repeat that the measure proposed to counter this mischief and the objective for which this memorial has been sent, is not only wrong but an utterly futile and hollow strategy. The supporters of this Anjuman repeatedly declare in their journals that the real purpose of the memorial sent by them is to stop the publication of the treatise Ummahātul-Mu'minin. So I object to this very purpose. I have learnt from various letters and from authentic sources that the treatise Ummahātul-Mu'minin has been widely published and a thousand of its copies were distributed free of cost. What publi- cation now remains to be banned? Alas! Why does this Anjuman not fully comprehend that all their complaint and lamentation is now too late. It can be argued that though the memorial sent by this Anjuman is belated, yet in case the Government bans the publication of these books, the Muslims would be delighted and consequently the risk of public disorder would be averted. In response, I ask what dangerous public passion is inflamed now that three months have passed since the publication of this book? The truth is that majority of the Muslims are illiterate and are not aware of the contents of these books, otherwise the occasion for the arousal of such passion was when one thousand copies of the book was distributed free of cost and delivered to the people in their houses without demanding for it. Now we find that those perilous days have passed peacefully and these books were for- tunately read by those who were free of barbaric rage. Of course this book has deeply hurt all of them but the wisdom and grace of God Almighty has kept these filthy and provocative contents from the ears of the people. In any case, when the memorial was