State officials should take as their example the attitude of Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz, or Umar II, chief of the Umayyah dynasty (who ruled from 717 to 720 in the Muslim calendar). One night, one of his children came to him for consultation. Before the talk began, the caliph asked: "Is this a state or private matter?" Upon being told it was a private matter, he turned off all the palace lights and they talked in darkness...

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