tive remedy but will also be
an effective test of the sincerity of the Muslim claim and the Hindu
profession of friendship.

There is however one formidable argument urged by friends against my
joining the Khilafat movement. They say that it ill-becomes me, a friend
of the English and an admirer of the British constitution, to join hands
with those who are to-day filled with nothing but ill-will against the
English. I am sorry to have to confess that the ordinary Mahomedan
entertains to-day no affection for Englishmen. He considers, not without
some cause, that they have not played the game. But if I am friendly
towards Englishmen, I am no less so towards my countrymen, the
Mahomedans. And as such they have a greater claim upon my attention than
Englishmen. My personal religion however enables me to serve my
countrymen without hurting Englishmen or for that matter anybody else.
What I am not prepared to do to my blood-brother I would not do to an
Englishman, I would not injure him to gain a kingdom. But I would
withdraw co-operation from him if it becomes necessary as I had
withdrawn from my own brother (now deceased) when it became necessary. I
serve the Empire by refusing to partake in its wrong. William Stead
offered public prayers for British reverses at the time of the Boer war
because he considered that the nation to which he belonged was engaged
in an unrighteous war. The present Prime Minister risked his life in
opposing that war and did everything he could to obstruct his own
Government in its prosecution. And to-day if I have thrown in my lot
with the Mahomedans, a large number of whom, bear no friendly feelings
towards the British, I have done so frankly as a friend of the British
and with the object of gaining justice and of thereby showing the
capacity of the British constitution to respond to every honest
determination when it is coupled with suffering, I hope by my 'alliance'
with the Mahomedans to achieve a threefold end--to obtain justice in the
face of odds with the method of Satyagrah and to show its efficacy over
all other methods, to secure Mahomedan friendship for the Hindus and
thereby internal peace also, and last but not least to transform
ill-will into affection for the British and their constitution which in
spite of the imperfections weathered many a storm. I may fail in
achieving any of the ends. I can but attempt. God alone can grant
success. It will not be denied that the ends are all wort