The story of Muhammad Iqbal, a turn of the century poet/philosopher from South Asia. Through Iqbal's work we open a dialog between the East and West, refute the notion of a class of civilizations and discover our shared humanity.

"A Message from the East" invites us to take another look at Islam, through the window of time during the late-colonial rule of India. Muhammad Iqbal was a man who understood the nature of contradiction and the necessity of balancing the converging forces in our lives. An inspiration to the people of the subcontinent, Iqbal was instrumental in the stages leading up to the Partition of India and the Creation of Pakistan. An advocate of cultural understanding and peace, Iqbal interestingly enough became the inspiration for the modern state of Pakistan. In order for us to understand the current situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the rising paranoia of Radical Extremism we need to look at this critical point of history to understand those who where concerned with these same issues 100 years ago.—Jeremiah Hammerling