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 via Zoom at 4 p.m. on Jan. 26, at the Isa Cultural Center, Manama.
Alshoala will be joined on the occasion by Piyush Srivastava, Indian ambassador to Bahrain; Abdul Rahman Mohammed Juma, chairman of the Bahrain India Society; and Dr. Shobhana Radhakrishna, an internationally renowned Gandhi scholar, who will be the keynote speaker. The book launch event has been organized by the Bahrain India Society.
The book, first published in Arabic two years ago and now in its third print run 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 print run, with the Indian languages versions also ready for the international market.
Alshoala is the chairman of Dar Albilad for Journalism, Publishing and Distribution Co. B.S.C. and the founding chairman and adviser to the board of Alfanar Investment Holding Co. B.S.C. Over his long career, Alshoala has served as minister of labor and social affairs, and later as Cabinet minister of state.
He also served as a member of Bahrain’s advisory council and has 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.
“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 nonviolence. 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.”
