Gandhi Presages His Most Famous Quote in Refusing to Respond to Critics, Writing “All one can hope for is that one’s actions would speak for themselves.”
This has the same meaning as his statement that his life is his message, delivered two decades later.
Gandhi was widely known for his opposition to Zionism and the idea of a Jewish homeland. His overriding striving for Muslim-Hindu amity in an undivided India naturally influenced him to support the Arab cause in Palestine. In 1921, he made a statement supporting the demand of Indian Muslims that Muslim control should...
Gandhi was widely known for his opposition to Zionism and the idea of a Jewish homeland. His overriding striving for Muslim-Hindu amity in an undivided India naturally influenced him to support the Arab cause in Palestine. In 1921, he made a statement supporting the demand of Indian Muslims that Muslim control should be retained there. He argued on moral grounds, but clearly he did not give Jewish religious sentiment the same weight as Muslim in this matter. He believed that Zion was not a geographical concept, but as he would say in 1931, “Zion lies in one`s heart. It is the abode of God. The real Jerusalem is the spiritual Jerusalem. Thus he can realize this Zionism in any part of the world”. So Zion is in the hearts of Jews anywhere and did not require what he stated would be the “reoccupation of Palestine”.
“Young India” was a weekly paper in English published by Gandhi from 1919 to 1932. Gandhi used Young India to spread his ideology of non-violence in organizing movements and to urge readers to consider, organize, and plan for India's eventual independence from Britain.
Wolfgang von Weisl was an influential Austrian Jewish writer, journalist and expert on Islam, and in the 1920s and 1930s was a leader in the Revisionist branch of Zionism that called for independent political activity for free immigration and the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine. At times an ally of Zeev Jabotinsky, he became more radical than Jabotinsky. In 1931 Weisl predicted the rise of Hitler and another world war, calling on the Jews to save themselves. During this time he was active against the partition of what was left of the land of Israel – after a great portion, the West Bank, was separated and given to King Hussein. In 1935 he proposed illegal immigration to Palestine and, overruling Jabotinsky's opposition, raised the funds needed for the first "illegal" immigrants' ship. In the late 1920s, Weisl was the oriental correspondent for the German newspaper, the liberal Vossische Zeitung, which was the newspaper of record in Germany until the Nazis came to power and closed it. So Gandhi’s opposition to Jewish national self-determination paced his views into direct conflict with Weisl’s.
In early 1928, Weisl wrote articles about India and Gandhi for the Vossische Zeitung, which were anything but complimentary to the subject. Weisl wrote accusing Gandhi of cynicism: “Europe has bowed, worshiping to the apostle of peace, Gandhi, who preached the doctrine of non-violence. I fear, one did not have enough understanding to see that the doctrine resulted only for one part from religious considerations, and for the other part from the cool contemplation” of India’s weakness. He alleged that Gandhi was acting hypocritically by claiming to honor non-violence yet supporting wars and Indian access to armaments. Weisl continued to say that Gandhi supports reactionary policies like boycotts, and “consciously or unconsciously always puts in the foreground of his work” the policy of Indians wearing homespun material; i.e.“Do not wear European clothes”. This he attributes to an adherence to Hinduism and against what “Europe forces on the Hindus”. Weisl continued by labeling Gandi’s movement as a “dull revolt against the unclean European.”
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was founded in 1915, to study, make known and eliminate the causes of war. Its goal was to create a way in which women could work for peace and freedom by claiming women’s right and responsibility to participate in decision-making on all aspects of peace and security. It is now the oldest women’s peace organization in the world. Felicia Breyer of Bremen, Germany was a member. She was also a follower of Gandhi, and after reading the Weisl articles, felt it incumbent on her to contact Gandhi to respond and set the record straight. Certainly there was much to set straight, as even taking Weisl’s examples as facts, his characterizations of them are subject to refutation.
Breyer wrote Gandhi on March 23, 1928, saying “I follow your work by reading Young India, and I am trying to help a little to make the idea of non-violence popular by my work in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.” She goes on to tell him of the articles published in the Vossische Zeitung by “Dr. Wolfgang von Weisl, about India, which are written without much sympathy for India…but they contained two passages about you and your work, which are so obviously wrong and which show, for instance, that he did not understand the meaning of…nonviolence. I think it is a great pity if these people get a wrong impression about India and yourself…” She thinks Gandhi might want to correct these erroneous impressions by writing a letter to the editor, which she would submit. The Gandhi archives preserve this letter from Breyer to Gandhi, along with a summery of the texts of Weisl’s articles.
Here is Gandhi’s response, refusing to address Weisl for a simple reason. Letter Signed, on a postcard, in English and signed M.K. Gandhi, The Ashram, Sabarmati, April 17, 1928, to Breyer. “I have your letter, for which I thank you. Though the extracts that you send me are certainly vicious, I do not feel inclined to answer. It would be too great an undertaking to answer all criticisms, whether foreign or indigenous. All one can hope for is that one’s actions would speak for themselves. Yours sincerely, M.K. Gandhi.”
When a reporter asked Gandhi, late in his life, what his message was, he replied in perhaps his most famous and moving quotation, “My life is my message.” Every ounce of his being exuded his beliefs and preached his message to the world. For Gandhi, there was no distinction between what he believed, what he did, and who he was. This quotation was of sufficient importance that Narayan Desai used it as the title of his four volume biography of Gandhi, On the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.
But twenty years before, Gandhi had presaged this quote, saying the same thing in slightly different terminology in this very letter to Breyer: that his actions speak for him, and are thus his message. This letter is extraordinary for that reason.
As for Weisl, during the bloody disturbances of August 1929 in Palestine, he was stabbed by an Arab and was thought dead. Eulogies were published around the world, and in one of them he was mentioned as the Mark Twain of the German language. He survived and died in 1974, outliving Gandhi by 26 years.

Frame, Display, Preserve
Each frame is custom constructed, using only proper museum archival materials. This includes:The finest frames, tailored to match the document you have chosen. These can period style, antiqued, gilded, wood, etc. Fabric mats, including silk and satin, as well as museum mat board with hand painted bevels. Attachment of the document to the matting to ensure its protection. This "hinging" is done according to archival standards. Protective "glass," or Tru Vue Optium Acrylic glazing, which is shatter resistant, 99% UV protective, and anti-reflective. You benefit from our decades of experience in designing and creating beautiful, compelling, and protective framed historical documents.
Learn more about our Framing Services