Arts and culture can be mightier than the sword. The people are already going where the leaders should follow. On my tours of the U.S. or Europe, I’ll often play before crowds that won’t understand the Urdu and Punjabi lyrics I’m singing. But there are scores of people who want to know more about the verses of Bulleh Shah or Iqbal, and I’ll get flooded with requests for translations or explanations. What gives my audiences and me hope for deeper ties between Islamic and Western culture is that there is love in those lyrics. And there can never be enough love, in any language.

I’m just one person who’s trying to live out a journey of light. We can only wake up each day and go out and plow the fields, armed with our God- consciousness and a clear awareness of the purpose of our individual life. In my own case, I try to keep the focus on finding common ground through music and teaching. The jihad never ends and my song remains the same. We are all connected and interdependent.