The Message or A Cry of Anguish — Page 82
82 HADRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS their account and have never suffered any hardship from them with regard to religion nor any tyranny like the one shown by des- potic rulers. Rather they have granted us freedom of speech and action and have pleased us with their kindness and benevolence. We have seen no evil from this Government nor any brutality like that of the Sikh regime. Since my days of maturity and youth I have been brought up under its benign shadow and lived in peace under its shelter. Allah has made it like a fountain from which we drink and an eye through which we see. Therefore, we oppose sus- picions being reported to this Government, lest it consider us among those who harbour mischievous intentions. It is because of this that I did not want that mischievous slanderer to be pro- ceeded against and held myself back from taking these kinds of measures. I believed this kind of act would displease the Government which would never approve of it. Therefore, I held back like those who stay away. I heard that some hasty Muslims sent letters to the Government, imploring and beseeching it to arrest the author like a criminal. Such people live in a fool's para- dise. For my part, I see no good resulting from this strategy and neither do I consider it harmless. It is an act that is bound to result in the enemy exulting over it, nor would it frustrate the machina- tions created by the cunning artifices of the imposters. If we took to litigation and filed a suit against the author of this treatise, then the disgrace of not being able to write its rebuttal would be attrib- uted to us and we would become the object of public reproach with false and fallacious charges being imputed to us and our hon- our being attacked by the sharpness of the tongues; and the fools would say these people have failed to come up with an answer and have turned towards the officials in their extreme rage and