A virtual launch of the English, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam editions of the Arabic-language book “Gandhi: His Engagement with Islam and the Arab World”, written by  Abdulnabi Alshoala, will be held on January 26.

 

The event, organised by Bahrain India Society, will be held via Zoom at 4 pm on Wednesday at the Isa Cultural Centre, Manama. 

 

Alshoala will be joined on the occasion by Piyush Srivastava, the Indian Ambassador to Bahrain; Abdul Rahman Mohammed Juma, the Chairman of the Bahrain India Society, and Dr Shobhana Radhakrishna, a leading, internationally-renowned Gandhi scholar, who will be the keynote speaker. 

 

The acclaimed book, first published in Arabic two years ago and now in its third printing in the regional language, was snapped up by four different publishing houses in India. The English language translation, published by a leading Indian company, is already in its second printing with the Indian languages versions also ready for the international market.

 

Alshoala is the Chairman of Dar Albilad for Journalism, Publishing and Distribution Co and the founding chairman, and advisor to the board, of Alfanar Investment Holding Co. Over his long and illustrious career, Al shoala has served as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and, later, as Cabinet Minister of State. He has also served as a member of Bahrain’s Advisory Council and, also, been elected to the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

“Gandhi: His Engagement with Islam and the Arab World” is both Alshoala’ s homage to the great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known by the honorific “Mahatma” (meaning “venerable”), and an effort seeking to address issues faced by Islam and Muslim countries in a Gandhian way.

 

Alshoala is no stranger to India, having studied at the fabled St Xavier’s College in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His book, he said, is intended to both express his gratitude to India for the hospitality he received while a student and, also, to strengthen ties between India and Middle Eastern countries.

 

“Gandhi’s main principle was to solve differences through dialogue,” Alshoala said. “History shows that he was able to wrest the jewel of the British Empire from them through a policy of non-violence. As we look around this region and see so much conflict and wars all around, this is my humble way of suggesting that non-violence and dialogue would serve all concerned well going forward.”

 

Alshoala revisits Gandhi’s intellectual heritage, reviews his appreciation of Islam and the Holy Prophet and takes an exhaustive look at the different stages of  Gandhi’s life and the impact it had on not just Indian politics and society, but also the Arab world.

 

Those who wish to join the event can click here .