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Though the violence perpetrated against my father was not inspired by religion, the question of violence has been central in my life. I remember I was twelve and reading the newspapers about his death. The effects of that violence continue to motivate me and color my view of the world. The violence that destroyed your grandfather in 1977 continues to warp relationships and emotions in our family today. Does its effect grow weaker? I do not think so. It was a single moment of violence that echoes through the decades. It sent ripples out through time all the way till today. The violence was instantaneous, unexpected, and utterly destructive. Saif, your grandfather’s life ended in violence. And measure the use of violence against the moral and ethical laws that govern us. Our task is to understand the boundaries of violence. But if you pick at the pieces within the history and texts of our faith that appeal to an inner anger and frustration, then you will have to carry the burden of that choice. Islam has within it the resources for you to be a complete and balanced person. The same applies if you decide that your approach to life is one of balance, of measure, and of cooperation. If you choose to express Islam in a violent and destructive manner, this is your projection onto Islam, of your personality and your choices. You have a choice to give priority to certain principles and certain values. The reality is that though we talk of one Islam, we express it in different ways. In addition to his post in Moscow, Ambassador Ghobash sponsors the Saif Ghobash-Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation and founded the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in collaboration with the Booker Prize in London.Īs much as I don’t like the topic, I have to talk to you about violence, in religion and, more broadly, in life. Ghobash is the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Russia. The following is from Omar Saif Ghobash's book, Letters to a Young Muslim.