When I think of the demagogues of the recent times, the two names that come automatically to my mind are Rasputin of Russia, and Elmer Gantry a character in Sinclair Lewis’ best-selling novel of the same title. Incidentally films were made of both the characters which were blockbusters. The great Hollywood actor Burt Lancaster played Elmer Gantry. I watched the films a couple of times because of my liking for Burt Lancaster whose performances in Judgment at Nuremberg, Birdman of Alcatraz, and Vera Cruz will long be remembered.
I vividly recall these scorching lines from a sermon by Elmer Gantry.
“You are all sinners.
You will all burn in hell”.
Elmer Gantry was a priest who talked of saving his listeners from sin, leading them to salvation, telling them about everything except his dark private life.
I don’t know why but when the name Khadim Hussain Rizvi hits my ears or comes to my mind, both Rasputin and Elmer Gantry fill my thoughts. Elmer Gantry was an orator of about the same category and quality as Khadim Hussain Rizvi. Some of the clips I have had the ‘privilege’ of watching in which Khadim Hussain Rizvi is seen and heard speaking more ‘candidly’ make me think that Elmer Gantry was not as impassionedly inclined to vulgarity and as fond of using ‘populist language’ of obscene nature as this bearded ‘clergy’ who has undertaken the task of outranking all known or unknown Aushiqan-i-Rasool (Lovers Of The Holy Prophet PBUH).
His only misfortune or short-coming is that he does not know that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) always spoke in sweet soft and gentle voice and in his times no person ever fell at the mercy of an in insane murderous bunch of beasts.
Islam that he preached was a faith of love, peace, understanding, fear of Allah and welfare for all mankind. Needless to say that the highest form of death that a Muslim can aspire is a death in the cause of upholding the honour and the Message of the greatest man who ever lived, and without whom we would not have known Allah the All-powerful and the All-Beneficent.
‘Maulana’ Khadim Hussain is a character about whom a film like Elmer Gantry can be made. I am sure it will be a box-office hit.
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