(This respected lady embraced Islam in Pakistan in 1980 in the hands of Mr. Mia Tufail Muhammad, a Muslim leader of Pakistan. Then after two months she went to Australia and returned to Pakistan in August 1981. She breathed her last on 29th September in the same year. This interview given below was taken before few days of her demise.)
A. A. Khan: Would you mind giving your detailed identity first of
all?
M. G.: Before embracing Islam my name was Marlina Garsia. My
parentage is in Brazil. My father Arthur Edward Garsia was a famous physician and was a
medical officer of high rank in Burma. And I was born there. I did my matriculation in
Rangoon. And then after the retirement of my father we settled in California. My father
began private practicing there and he did it well. But he died very soon. I was 18 then.
My mother did not overcome the loss of her husband and she also died very soon after two
or three years. And I became alone on this earth, as I was the only child of my parents.
Nevertheless I did not lose my guts and mental courage. I was always a good student. My
father wanted me to be a doctor and I continued my student life accordingly. I completed
my graduation in medicine from the university of California. I had a tremendous liking
penchant to study. So I began to contribute writing to different newspapers. Apart from
the private practicing I often delivered statement against wine and other types of
intoxicants. I had to visit Europe and America a lot to deliver my speech on this issue.
Finally I settled in the city of Sydney of Australia. I ran a clinic there and began to
work as a free lancer journalist. And I earned a good income.
A. A. Khan: When did you get acquainted with Islam?
M. G.: The religion of my forefathers was Christianity. We
believed in Roman Catholic Church. To be honest, Christianity failed to impress me. I was
burning with so many questions in my mind and I also discussed with the priest and others
concerned. But no satisfactory answer was found. For example the belief in Trinity is such
a nonsensical and ridiculous matter that no sensible person can accept it. In addition I
must say that my conscience did not permit me to take wine and sensuality. I never took
meat and coffee. I have been a vegetarian. It seemed to me that the common life-style of
Europe was against nature. So to discover the truth I began to study other religions. But
no religion could satisfy my questioning mind. Then I started to read some books of Islam
whose fundamental ideology impressed me. But its basic idea was yet to be clear to me. The
reason might be that the writers of those books were conservative Christians. For this
reason I maintained a distance from Islam though I had a weakness for it and some time
passed in this way.
Fortunately enough I came to read the books by Mariam Jamilah and then I came to Pakistan with a delegation of journalist and met with her. Her simplicity and personality moved me. She was married to such a man who had some children by his previous wife. She used to take care of her old mother-in-law and silently got engrossed in the Islamic activities. Mariam Jamilah arranged my acquaintance with Maulana Maududi. She gave me a book by Maulana Maududi entitled "Towards Understanding Islam". After reading this book I got quite a complete knowledge about Islam. I understood that Islam is an all-inclusive and natural religion and Tawheed is the final truth of the whole creation. Whatever I see before me gives a testimony of the unity of Allah.
I was getting prepared when I returned to Australia. Unfortunately the lower part of my knee was broken by an accident and I was bed-ridden for some days in a hospital. My remembrance of Allah and prayer to him were my resources that gave me total healthy condition. I came to Pakistan for the second time and expressed my desire to embrace Islam and according to his exhortation I went to Monsura and achieved a great blessing like Islam through Mr. Mia Tufail Muhammad. It is not possible to end giving thanks to Allah for this good fortune.
A. A. Khan: What will be the reaction of your family and society
you think?
M. G.: I told before that I have no family. I am still
unmarried. The reason I have not married yet is that in the European society men never
maintain an intimate relation with the women. They think woman a plaything and an object
of enjoyment. I was always against this attitude. I did not find an honest man with the
sense of humanity and morality. Generally I can say that the society I know will react
negatively. They will sneer and laugh at me, which I don't care about. Moreover I am not
in a mind to live in Australia. When I return there I will sell my home and other
belongings and then migrate to Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. It is my desire that I will spend
the rest of my life in Lahore or Madina. I hope I will perform Haj (pilgrimage) very soon.
You may know that like Europe the social life of Australia is also devoid of mental peace.
And many social crimes are there like stealth, robbery etc. One and all are used to wine
there. Sexual perversion is at the peak. Many houses are subject to be burnt for social
unrest. Who knows that I may find my house burnt when go back. In the city of Sydney fire
brigade is seen to hurry making a hoarse sound. These are the every day happenings there.
A. A. Khan: What is the proper way of the spread of Islam you
think?
M. G.: The one and only way to spread Islam is that the Muslim
should translate Islam into their practical life and should pursue it on earth as the
vicegerent of Allah. The European are groping in the darkness and their religion has
nothing to give them light. Life has become a hell there. They are thirsty and the only
thing to quench their thirst is Islam that they are far from. When a European man inclines
towards Islam it means that he comes closer to the truth. But when he sees the lamentable
condition of Islamic world he becomes frustrated and goes away from Islam. So the only
remedy for this problem is that the Muslim should obey Islam completely. And only then the
whole Europe, America, Australia and Japan will take shelter under the umbrella of Islam.
A. A. Khan: Can you remember the name of such an Islamic
personality who has tremendously influenced you?
M. G.: Yea, the respected lady Mariam Jamila has tremendously
influenced me. She forsook her primitive and native culture and pursued the Islamic
practices. She takes care of her husband and her aged mother-in-law. She brings up her
children with affection and proper care. She attends the interviewee very cordially. The
very important matter is that she has authored some books that have manifested the
hollowness of the luxurious western life on the one hand and presented the truth of Islam
on the other. Her personality and her books have brought me closer to Islam. I show her my
gratefulness and give thanks.
A. A. Khan: Do you have any message for the Pakistani Muslims in
general and the Pakistani Muslim women in particular?
M. G.: The message I want to convey to my Muslim sisters is that
they should resort to the just system of Islam. We should adopt the lifestyle shown by the
Prophet (SAWS). And herein lies the emancipation of women and this can save the society
from different deviations. I want to inform them that the European dress code for woman is
disgraceful and not supported by the conscience. For Allah's sake, be away from blind
imitation. And resort to the Islamic dress code (hijaab) given by Islam.
by Abbas Ali Khan
Courtesy: Monthly Prithibi
Translator: Md. Mahmudul Hasan