RAKESH BHATT's presentation was of an emotive genre, quite distinguished from others in so far as he delved into his autobiographical past while addressing major concerns of the topic. Speaking on the theme of 'Engaging the Hindu fundamentalists on Islam' he sought to give a rebuttal to the myths being propagated by the likes of Giriraj Kishore and the VHP by properly quoting from the very same scripts which were being misrepresented.

Positing that he was a curious mixture of cultural and religious assimilation he sated that thought born as a Hindu Brahmin to Priyambada and Navin Chandra Bhatt in Badrinath, he 'got drowned in the love of Muslim faith' later at a mature stage in life quite by conscious choice and inclination. Leaving the foreign service of which he was a former member he traversed a less traveled path by opting for Islamic theological studies in Teheran University. He believes that the Muslim religious scriptures are not jingoistic or savagely violent in their intend and spirit.

He said that in his childhood days there was an element of tolerance in the common people that was amazing. He remembered that a pipeline had burst close to his home which supplied water to a nearby mosque. His father without any second thoughts agreed to supply water to the Mosque. The meaning of Islam is submission and shanty.

He contacted Acharya Giriraj Kishore immediately after he publicized the fact that there are various excerpts in the holy Muslim scriptures that advocate violence on non-believers of Islam. In particular there are 24 'aayatein' (stanzas) in the Qoran which are controversial. The 4^th stanza in Giriraj's list states that "Whatever a Kafir is seen, kill him". In the 6^th stanza it is stated that "Talk to them only after the bad months are over." Giriraj's selections do not show that a subsequent stanza says that if a Kaafir asks for forgiveness, then forgive him. Rakesh's emphasis is that the 24 stanzas that have been singled out for ridicule and misrepresentation by Giriraj are done out of context and that if one reads the original text properly then these do not seem as sinister as they are made out to be. He says that if these 24 stanzas have to be expurgated from the Qoran then 57 slokas of the Gita have to be taken out from it, because they broadly say the same thing.

He then went on to say that Kaafir doesn’t mean an infidel or a non-believer. Kaafir means kafr dhatu – one which leads one from untruth to truth and one which has the power to change truth to untruth. It is nowhere mentioned that this has connotations with violence. Hence there is an element of misrepresentation. Moreover, media of all countries have misinterpreted Jihad as 'dharma yudh' Qoran has no concept of holy war. Islam's literal meaning is peace. It doesn't preach violence. There is however the concept of 'sangharsh' or struggle to end all 'atyachar' (excesses).

He spoke of a context in his personal life when his daughter Saugandh was very sick. Since he reads Qoran he was tempted to ask for benediction/benevolence for his daughter. It was then that he realised that in Muslim religion you cannot ask for 'dua' (benevolence) for an individual self. In Muslim prayers dua has to asked for all people. This is a philosophy which is shared by Hinduism. Vishnu stuti ends with the words "sarvalokekana" (for all people). The practice is to ask for benediction for the entire world, for all people while reading the Vishnu stuti. Thus there is a close similarity. There is soorat in Islam which every Muslim says in his prayers which goes like this.

Oh! My lord who is ever forgiving and kind who is in Ram and in Rahim,

Please help all those who are karmasheel (energetic and persevering).

It is also found in la ila ilalaha. In every day a Muslim says it 10 times.

Hence there is an universal conspectus in Islam, which is deliberately being suppressed.

Later in response to an interjection Bhatt said that co-existence in the contemporary situation is not easy. With so much turmoil in India today, it should be the effort of everybody to make a conscious effort to make friendship with people of other faiths (quite contrary to what Gerri said – he said that do not make friends from Muslim, Christian and other faiths). As long as it is not inimical to one's own and others interests there is no harm. This would make co-existence easier and mutually beneficial.

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