You are invited to join us from 5-6:30 PM PST on Monday, February 19th, for a reading and discussion of quotes from Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
We will gather to commemorate one of the great warriors of nonviolence, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, also known as Bacha Khan, who was the leader of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement — the largest nonviolent army in British India. Khan was also a key figure in the All India National Congress Committee and, alongside with Gandhi, staunchly fought against British colonization. Even more significantly, he started his movement to reform his own Pashtun/Afghan society and believed that change must begin from within. Although his exact birthdate is uncertain, it is often given as February 16th 1890, and he died on January 20th 1988, so it’s a good time to reflect upon his life.
We will share some translated passages from his autobiography, as well as a famous poem about him, so that we can discuss his words, his framework of nonviolence, and how he is viewed locally. We will aim to recognize both his historical significance and his relevance today.
