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found copies of the Bible. The love of Akbar for his mother is well-known and his mother was a zealous Mohammedan, and it pained her very much to hear the treatment of the sacred book of the Mohammedans in the hands of the Christains, and she wanted Akbar to do the same with the bible. But this great man replied : 'Mother, these ignorant men donot know the value of the Koran, and they treated it in a manner which is the outcome of ignorance. But I know the glory of the Koran and the Bible both, and I cannot degenerate myself in the way they did'.
It is interesting to note that the American press was unanimous in declaring the remarks of Rev. Pentocost as derogatory to the dignity of the Parliament. They not only took note of Virchandbhai's dignified and broad-minded reply but printed the whole lecture verbatim. The reply was given on 25-9-1893. Here is the coverage in Chicago Times of 26-9-1893.
"Mr. Gandhi of India replies to some inhospitable criticisms, when Dr. George F. Pentecost, in his address before the Parliament of Religions last Sunday evening, assailed the character of Brahmin priests and priestesses, he not only committed a gross outrage upon the Parliament by over stepping the very first rules under which the Congress is conducted and succeeded as a guest in a wholesale libel upon other given in the Parliament, but he aroused alike the indignations of Christians, Buddhists and members of every sect in attendance. Here is the brief extract from Dr.'s unprecedented attack:
"We have listened to lectures from distinguished orientals on our political and social shortcomings for the last few days with as much as patience as we could command.
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