UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES Dear Mr. Madraswala, It Was a Great
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'' UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES TIONS. N. Y. 10017 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETAR Y-G ENERAL CABINET DU SECRETAI RE G EN ERAL REFERENCE: 14 July 1997 Dear Mr. Madraswala, It was a great pleasure to meet you last week during your visit to the United Nations. As I indicated to you then, the demands on the Secretary-General's time made it impossible for him to meet you, but I was honoured to receive you on his behalf. The task which you have undertaken on your sole initiative, to bring a message of peace and harmony to all nations of the world, is an admirable one, and entirely in consonance with the noble aspirations of the United Nations Charter. I should like to reiterate to you in this letter, therefore, our best wishes for a safe journey back home and for continued success in your mission. Only with the support of dedicated individuals like you can the United Nations 's work towards a peaceful and prosperous world bear fruits. Yours sincerely, Gillian Martin Sorensen Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations Mr. Taher Madraswala C/0 Ms. Brynn Sandier Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency New York Brynn M. Sandier Literary Agent Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency, Inc. One Lincoln Plaza, Suite 29R 20 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023 Tel: 212-769-2430/Fax: 212-873-0774 s Taher Madraswala 288 Lexington Ave. #12H (212) 255-4274 New York, N.Y. 10016 [email protected] June 10, 1997 The Honourable Kofi-Annan The Secretary General, United Nations First Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017 Your Excellency: I, Taher Madraswala, am an Indian Citizen on a world goodwill mission to spread the word of International Brotherhood, Peace and Understanding through cycling around the world. I started this mission in India in October, 1981 that has taken me through Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and North America with an entry into the Guiness Book of World Records. This message of Peace has eventually brought me to my last stage before I return to India. I feel it fitting that the last place I visit be the Headquarter of the United Nations; the organization whose Charter incorporates the solemn declaration that the peoples of the United Nations are determined to live together in peace and to unite their strength to maintain international peace and security. United Nations continues to provide the best hope to make our world a peaceful place to live in; to bring some semblance, justice, equality and respectability to our lives. The UN, moreover, continues to command tremendous and excellent respect in this area through providing active and committed leadership. This shows an active concern to bring world peace; an ideal that I too cherish, and for which I have been away from my family and friends for so long. I ask youjto^ consider my request for a ten minute appointment with you any time in June 1997 before I return back tormy^pme~iriTndia. I do understand that the demands of your office are very heavy on your time. But I am sure your Excellency, being a dedicated and foremost supporter of World Peace, will have a heart to meet for few minutes, a person who has dedicated hah0 of his youth years to spreading the same message across many countries. I again look forward to hear favourably from you soon. Yours Tr Taher S. Madraswala Indian Cyclist Begins The Last Leg Of His 15 Year World Adventure BY R. PAUL Hindus and Mus- DHILLON lims. I was frus- He rides his bicy- trated because I cle down highways couldn't play with and byways, my friends. And desert roads and then at 15, I de- congested city cided to something streets with a no- for peace." ble mission of Madraswala set spreading peace in off across India a world that has with his Hindu been ravaged by friend and the two death and destruction from determined to deliberate human violence. spread the mes- Taher Madraswala, a 32 sage of peace using year old Dawoodi bicycles as their mode of Bohra Muslim from travel. Ahmedabad, India, After about five has been cycling years traveling in In- throughout the dia, they stopped world for nearly 15 briefly at home and years covering some then flew to Kenya 125,000 kilometers in 1987. The friend in 30 countries. cut his trip short in After making his 1992 because of fam- way through Africa, ily responsibilities Middle-East, Europe, but Madraswala con- Asia, Australia and tinued on to Aus- Pacific Islands, he fi- tralia, Japan, South- nally made his way to east Asia and, eventu- North America, arriving in ally North America. Canada in January 1995. Madraswala said he He cycled from Chicago to chose a bicycle for his Toronto in frigid weather, mission because its a enduring severe cold tem- very lightweight trans- peratures, he arrived in Ot- portation vehicle that tawa last May, where he was also the helps him cover large ^iven a warm welcome by birth place distances and best of all its Prime Minister Jean of the great very environmentally Chretien. He made his way Indian leader friendly. to Vancouver recently after and peace mar- cont'donpage 9 stops Thunder Bay, Winni- tyr - Mahatama Gandhi. peg, Calgary and Edmonton. "I witnessed a lot of suffer- Taker Madraswala and his During his brief visit to ing in my hometown when I THE LINK HOUSE, the soft was a young boy," said bicycle of peace against the ppken Madraswala said the Madraswala, who wears a scenic skyline of Vancouver in mission came out of his traditional beard and white the background. hildhood, when he wit- and gold hat as symbols of his nessed communal violence Muslim heritage, "I was up- PHOTOACHANDRA in his home town which is set at seeing fighting between BODALIA .786 World Citizen for Peace and Brotherhood Citizen of India and a member of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community. 718 Jamalpur Voharwad, Ground Floor, Gaikwad's Haveli, AWdaW380001, Gujarat State, INDIA tel: 079-5320955 TKe steps represents our efforts for a "Peaceful World". With your determination we can achieve it. I am Taher Madraswala. I have been cycling throughout the World for the past 15 years covering nearly 125,000 kilometres in 30 countries of Africa, Middle-East, Europe, Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands and North America. I have cycled through cold wintery winds and among the hot desert storms. I have crossed jungles and wildlife, mountains and valleys, villages and cities. I have met people of different races, colours, religions and languages; from the poorest to richest from the uneducated to educated, from the governed to the governors, from the most sick to the most healthy. I have been welcomed, applauded, appreciated and honoured on one hand and ridiculed, robbed,, and; scorned on the other hand. I have faced death and hunger, war and peace. It is that I undertook this cycling expedition around the''World Since very young, peace always seemed non-existent as we are bombarded through radio, TV, newspapers and magazines with the violence and bloodshed in different parts of the World as a result of cultural, economic, political, racial and religious differences; from politically motivated to personality influences. BUT WHO SUFFERS THE MOST? You guessed right. The common innocent people,'who wishes to:live peaceful, healthy and,happy life irrespective of religion, race, colour or creed. ' ' . , Whereas modern mankind prides on technological progress, PEACE still is a distant dream. HOW^CAN YOU HELP! 1. Stay away from crime, drugs, discrimination/ hatred, terrorism, greed, and corruption. Cultivate a positive attitude. 2. Help those in need, replace hatred and greed with understanding, tolerance and charity. Refrain from passing judgement on others. Instead respect and love others irrespective of race, c'oiour, religion, culture and creed. 3. Discourage aggression, violence, war, and more important, development and sales of weapons. Brace disarmament Tell your governments to spend the money instead on better education, health services and alleviating poverty. 4. Encourage and support promotion and work for the WORLD PEACE and PROSPERITY. Support UN efforts. 5. Remember GOD. Fear him and you will not go wrong. You will develop spiritual, moral and ethical virtues. Pray for his divine intervention to save us from the enemies of Peace and Brotherhood. - . MAT 600 BlEtt THE tttilTY WITH PEACE and BROTHERHOOD; AMEN KENYA, TANZANIA, UGANDA, ETHIOPIA, YEMEN, IIA.E., IRAQ; KUWAIT, BAHRAIN, SAUDIA ARABIA, EGYPT, GREECE, ITALY, FRANCE, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, ISRAEL, SRILANKA, SINGAPORE, HONGKONG, MALAYSIA, BRUNEI, THAILAND, CHINA, INDONESIA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, U.S.A., CANADA. iiblished AyeeJdyfBy; Perry ^ Cp. (ySA) Inc^244 IFif th Ay^riue; NeW Yorki NY 1OCO1; Second Class Postage Paid At NeW %r^ NYf INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSP^ERS ^£.26 INO.25 ^ JU^ JUNE 21, 1996 NEWS INDIA-TIMES PAGE 41;( Madraswala Cycles Round The Globe For 15 Years By UPENDRA SAB AT his belongings for survival. in countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Wearing a beard and the tradi- North Yemen, the United Arab NEW YORK: How would tional white and gold hat symbol- Emirates, England, France, Hong you react if a 17-year-old from izing Islamic faith which he be- Kong, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Aus- your family — be it a son, a longs to, and a colorful jacket, tralia and the list goes on. brother, a cousin, or even a dis- Madraswala said, "I learnt that Madraswala has addressed tant relative — tells you one fine there is nothing impossible in this meetings in schools and univer- morning that he wants to frot the world. Everything is possible if we sities, met with saudi arabian globe on a one-speed Atlas bike? try.