Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world.
The son of a senior government official, Gandhi was born and raised in a Hindu Bania community in coastal Gujarat, and trained in law in London. Gandhi became famous by fighting for the civil rights of Muslim and Hindu Indians in South Africa, using new techniques of non-violent civil disobedience that he developed. Returning to India in 1915, he set about organizing peasants to protest excessive land-taxes. A lifelong opponent of "communalism" (i.e. basing politics on religion) he reached out widely to all religious groups. He became a leader of Muslims protesting the declining status of the Caliphate. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, and above all for achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from British domination. His spiritual teacher was the Jain philosopher/poet Shrimad Rajchandra.
“Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.”
“Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good.”
“I offer you peace.I offer you love.I offer you friendship.I see your beauty.I hear your need.I feel your feelings.My wisdom flows from the highest Source.I salute that Source in you.Let us work together. For unity and peace.”
“It is man's social nature which distinguishes him from the brute creation. If it is his privilege to be independent, it is equally his duty to be inter-dependent. Only an arrogant man will claim to be independent of everybody else and be self-contained.”
“In fact, it is more correct to say that Truth is God, than to say that God is Truth.”
“Truth should be the very breath of our life. When once this state in the pilgrim's progress is reached, all other rules of correct living will come without any effort, and obedience to them will be instinctive.”
“يجب أن أفتح نوافذ بيتى لكى تهب علية رياح كل الثقافات , بشرط أن لا تقتلعنى من جذورى”
“My effort should never be to undermine another's faith but to make him a better follower of his own faith.”
“Terrorism and deception are weapons not of the strong, but of the weak.”
“A weak man is just by accident. A strong but non-violent man is unjust by accident.”
“God, as Truth, has been for me a treasure beyond price. May He be so to every one of us.”
“A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion.”