Indian Moslems and Palestine: We Share Joys and Sorrows of Moslems Throughout World but Politically

We have been accused of looking beyond the frontiers of India and not concentrating all our political patriotism on our Motherland. This is an unfounded accusation, the Aga Khan, (His Highness Aga Sultan Sir Mohamed Shah, the spiritual head of the Indian Moslems, and a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohamed) declared yesterday in a broadcast address on Moslem ideals and claims in India. While we are a world-wide brotherhood, while we share the joys and sorrows of Moslems throughout the world, while our spiritual brotherhood is complete with them, politically, he said, we have no other country and no other patriotism except that of India.

We would resent any intervention in Indian affairs from any outside Moslem as much as any other Indian would, he went on. Politically we have no other loyalty except as Indian members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The Aga Khan’s declaration may have a bearing on certain reports that have been current (given in the J.T.A. Bulletin of the 4th. inst.) that Maulana Shaukat Ali, the leader of the Indian Caliphate movement and the chief Moslem delegate to the Indian Round Table Conference which is now meeting in London, is sponsoring a scheme for the restoration of the Caliphate with its seat in Jerusalem and in this connection is negotiating with Gandhi and other Hindu leaders and also with the British Government representatives on the basis of certain demands put forward by the Palestine Arabs, in addition to those matters which affect the position of the Moslems of India.

Shaukat Ali has been in close relations with the Palestine Moslems, especially with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. He was in Palestine at the beginning of this month on his way to London, and he declared there that after he has freed himself from Indian affairs, in about six months’ time, he will go on a tour of the Moslem countries to raise funds for the Palestine Moslems, and he also said that he would discuss Palestine affairs in London during the period of the Indian Round Table Conference with Sir John Chancellor, the late High Commissioner, and other representatives of the British Government.

On November 2nd., the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, he is to be the principal speaker at an anti-Zionist demonstration at the Albert Hall, at which a message is to be read from the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.

I WANT TO GET INSTRUCTIONS FROM GRAND MUFTI AS TO WORK TO BE DONE IN ENGLAND SAID SHAUKAT ALI: “PEACE WITH BRITAIN MEANS NOT ONLY SETTLEMENT OF INDIAN QUESTION BUT ALSO REGARDING HOLY JAZIRAT-UL-ARAB AND OTHER MOSLEM AND ARAB LANDS

The Palestine Arab organ “Felastin”, has published a statement made to its editor by Shaukat Ali this month while he was in Palestine, in which he said:

“I shall be have for four of five days and I want to get ### from His Eminence the Grand Mufti and other ### as to the work to be done in England, where I will have opportunities of having plain talks with responsible British statesmen. I am going there for an honourable peace between India and England and between Moslems and Hindus. In any case we will try our best to come to an honourable understanding with the British. The peace with the British means not only settlement of the Indian question but also regarding holy Jazirat-ul-Arab and other Moslem and Arab lands.”