Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK

The 13th National Peace Symposium was heldon Saturday 19 March at the Baitul FutuhMosque in London. The keynote addressentitled ‘Terrorism was never justified by theProphet Muhammad (peace and blessings ofAllah be upon him)’ was delivered by theWorldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity, His Holiness Hazrat MirzaMasroor Ahmad.

JUSTICEThe Foundationfor Lasting Peace

NATIONAL PEACE SYMPOSIUM 2016

An Overview of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community The Khalifa of Islam: A Man of Peace

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is a religious organisation,with branches in more than 200 countries. It is the most dynamicdenomination of Islam in modern history, with an estimatedmembership in the tens of millions worldwide.

It was established in 1889 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(1835-1908) (photo above) in a small and remote village calledQadian in Punjab, India. He claimed to be the expected reformerof the latter days and the awaited one of the world communityof religions (the Mahdi and Messiah of the latter days). Thecommunity he started is an embodiment of the benevolentmessage of Islam in its pristine purity that promotes peace anduniversal brotherhood based on a belief in the Gracious and Ever-Merciful God.

With this conviction, within a century, the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity has expanded globally and it endeavours to practicethe peaceful teachings of Islam by raising hundreds of thousandsof pounds every year for charities, building schools and hospitalsopen to all and by encouraging learning through interfaithdialogue.

The UK chapter of the community was established in 1913 and in1924 it built London’s first purpose-built mosque (in Southfields).It is, therefore, one of the oldest and most established Muslimcommunities in Britain and now has 131 branches across the UK.

His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad was elected as the fifthKhalifa of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 2003.

His Holiness inspires his community to serve humanity with thespirit of kindness and humility that is integral to Islam. In accordancewith the teachings of Islam he upholds the honour of all prophetsof God and highlights the role of religion in the promotion of peace.

His Holiness has delivered addresses at the House of Commons,Capitol Hill and the European Parliament and also written to worldleaders urging them to inculcate a true sense of justice and peacein international relations to avoid regional conflicts from engulfingthe entire world.

“Faith is, and always will be, a matter of the heart and so thereshould never be any form of compulsion in religion. Whilst,Allah the Almighty has deemed Islam to be a completeteaching, no one has the right to forcefully convert others to it.Anyone, whether religious or not, is free to accept Islam, but thekey point is that it should be accepted freely and entirely of one’sown volition and choice.”(National Peace Symposium 2016)

Terrorism was never justifiedby the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba, the WorldwideHead of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said:

“Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem – in the Name ofAllah, the Gracious, Ever-Merciful.Assalamo Alaikum wa Rehmatullah wa

Barakatohu - peace and blessings of Allah beupon you all.

First of all I would like to take this opportunityto express my sincere gratitude to all of our

distinguished guests who have accepted ourinvitation and joined us here this evening. Yourattendance is particularly noteworthy given thatthis event is taking place at a time whenwidespread fear of Islam is on the increase due tothe horrific and disgraceful acts of terroristgroups.For example, last November, the world watched

in horror when the terrorist attacks took place inParis, and apart from this, there have been suicidebombings and attacks in various countries atregular intervals. In terms of the United Kingdom,very recently the Assistant Commissioner ofPolice warned that Daesh was planning“enormous and spectacular” terrorist attacks herein the UK, targeting high profile and publicplaces.Furthermore, there has been a sudden influx of

refugees into Europe during the past year andthis is causing a degree of fear, uncertainty andeven panic in the minds of many people. In lightof all of this, your attendance and willingness asnon-Muslims to attend an event organised by aMuslim community, proves that you arecourageous, tolerant and open-hearted people.Nonetheless, the simple truth is that there is no

need for anyone to fear true Islam. Whilst somepeople claim Islam to be a religion of extremismand one that promotes suicide attacks or otherforms of terrorism, nothing could be further fromthe truth. Recently, a well-known English

columnist wrote about the rise of ‘Islamaphobia’in a national newspaper. He wrote that he haddone extensive research on suicide bombingsand found that the first such attack took place inthe 1980s, despite the fact that Islam had existedfor well over 1300 years.He concluded that if Islam permitted or

encouraged such attacks then they ought to haveoccurred from the outset of Islam and throughoutits history. His point was valid and very well madeand proved that such attacks were a modern-dayevil, far removed from the true and peacefulteachings of Islam. Certainly, Islam has veryclearly prohibited all forms of suicide and so thereis no justification whatsoever for suicide attacksor any other forms of terrorism.Such heinous acts lead to the murder and

barbaric slaughter of innocent women, childrenand other members of the public. A recentresearch article of Dr. Considine of Rice University,in Houston Texas, clearly says that thepersecution of Christians in the so-called Islamicstate is not justified by Prophet Muhammad’s(sa)

writings. It further states that the Prophet’s visionof a Muslim nation was one of religious pluralismand civil rights.Thus let it be clear that such acts are absolutely

contrary to Islamic teachings. If Islam has everpermitted warfare, it is only to the extent of adefensive war, where war has been forced uponyou. For example, in chapter 22, verse 40 of theHoly Qur’an, Allah the Almighty has said thatpermission for warfare is given to those peopleupon whom war has been forcibly imposed.In that same verse, Allah the Almighty said that

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The 13th National Peace Symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim

Community UK was held on Saturday 19th March 2016 at the

Baitul Futuh Mosque in South London. The theme of the event

was ‘Justice - The Foundation for Lasting Peace’ and it was

attended by more than 900 delegates from 26 countries including

17 Parliamentarians, a number of diplomats and faith and civic

leaders. Speakers included Siobhain McDonagh MP (Chair of

the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya Muslim

Community), Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park, Lord Ahmad

of Wimbledon (Minister for Countering Extremism and Minister

for Transport) and Rt Hon Justine Greening MP (Secretary of State

for International Development).

The event also saw the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the

Advancement of Peace being presented to Hadeel Qassim for her

inspirational work with refugees in Iraq.

The keynote address was delivered by His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza

Masroor Ahmadaba, the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya

Muslim Community.

THE 13TH NATIONAL PEACE SYMPOSIUM

punishments that are proportionate to the crime,however it remains the case that if reformationcan be achieved without sanction it is preferable.This is why Allah the Almighty has said in chapter24, verse 23 of the Holy Qur’an that it is better toforgive and to manifest forbearance.Similarly, in chapter 3, verse 135, Allah the

Almighty has said that those who suppress theiranger and who forgive and forget are thosewhom Allah loves and prefers. Furthermore, atmany other places in the Holy Qur’an, it is statedthat a person should forgive wherever possible,because the ultimate purpose is always moralreformation, rather than vengeance. In terms ofconflict between nations or groups, Allah theAlmighty has given a golden principle for theestablishment of long-lasting peace in chapter49, verse 10 of the Holy Qur’an.

In the verse, it states that if there is a disputebetween nations or groups, third parties shouldseek to mediate and to bring about a peacefulresolution to the conflict. In the event of anagreement, all parties should act equitably, but ifeither party contravenes the settlement andtakes aggressive measures, then the othernations or groups should unite together and evenuse force if necessary to stop the aggressor.However, once the aggressive party withdrawsand adopts peace they should not be undulyrestricted but should be permitted to moveforward as an independent nation and a freesociety.Therefore, as the Provider and Sustainer of all of

mankind, Allah the Almighty desires for all peopleto live together in peace and to be free from allforms of persecution and injustice. In terms ofbelief, Islam enshrines the principles of universalreligious freedom and freedom of conscience.According to Islam, every person not only has theright of freedom of belief, but also has the rightto peacefully propagate their beliefs.Faith is, and always will be, a matter of the heart

and so there should never be any form ofcompulsion in religion. Whilst, Allah the Almightyhas deemed Islam to be a complete teaching, noone has the right to forcefully convert others toit. Anyone, whether religious or not, is free toaccept Islam, but the key point is that it should be

accepted freely and entirely of one’s own volitionand choice. Similarly, if a Muslim decides that hewishes to leave Islam then, according to theteachings of the Qur’an, he or she has the right todo so.Whilst we believe Islam to be a universal

religion and a timeless teaching, if anyonechooses to leave it then that is their choice andprerogative. In chapter 5, verse 55, Allah says thatif anyone wants to leave, let them go. He willreplace them with better and sincere ones. Nogovernment, group or individual has a right topunish them or sanction them in any way.Thus, the allegation that Islam mandates

punishment for apostasy is entirely unjust andwithout foundation. Therefore the teachings ofIslam all revolve around Allah and His Being andthe fact that He is the Sustainer and Provider forthe entire universe. Consequently, if a Muslimseeks to inflict merciless cruelties or to indulge inany forms of extremism then they will have toreject God’s Attribute of being the Sustainer of allof mankind.Alternatively, it may be that certain Muslims

accept Allah to be the Master of the Universe andthe Sustainer of all the Worlds, but have not trulycomprehended the meaning of this and haveconsequently moved far away from Islam’soriginal teachings. Hence, it was to enlighten andeducate mankind of the true Islam that weAhmadi Muslims, believe that Allah the Almightysent the Founder of our Community, as thePromised Messiah and Reformer of the Age.He informed us that the era of religious warfare

had come to an end and that God Almightydesired for mankind to live in peace and to fulfilthe rights of their Creator and of one another.Addressing his followers about this, the PromisedMessiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadianonce said:

“According to the true spirit of the teachingsof Islam there are only two parts of thereligion, or it can be said that the religion isbased upon two paramount objectives. Firstof all is to recognise the One God withabsolute certainty and to sincerely love Himand to submerge yourself entirely in His

in the case of religious warfare He would help andsupport those who had been wronged. In earlyIslam, the wars that took place were genuinereligious wars fought for the sake of upholdingthe fundamental principle of universal religiousfreedom. History proves that the wars foughtwith this intention made Muslims victorious,regardless of the fact that a handful ofunequipped Muslims fought against huge, well-equipped armies.However, as a Muslim, when I analyse the wars

involving Muslims today, I am certain that theycannot be classed as religious wars. For one, mostof the wars taking place in the Muslim world areeither internal civil strife or with the neighbouringMuslim countries. Secondly if ever non-Muslimcountries are involved, they have never declaredthe war as religious and rather helped both sidesof Muslims. Thus present day wars are not beingfought for the sake of Islam or for the sake ofreligion, but are for economic or geopoliticalgains and are proving only a means of defamingIslam’s name.And so based upon what I have just said, I hope

it is now clear that there is no need to fear Islamand that it is not a religion of extremism or onethat permits suicide attacks or indiscriminateviolence. There is no need for ‘Islamaphobia’because Islam’s true teachings are of peace,tolerance and mutual respect. Islam’s teachingsare of upholding human values and protectingthe honour, dignity and freedoms of all people.However, of course, we are all well aware that

there are some extremists and so-called Islamicgroups that are perpetrating the very worst formsof brutality in the name of Islam. Nevertheless,the verse of the Qur’an I quoted earlier makes itclear that such acts are not permitted or justifiedin any shape or form by Islam. Another significantmatter, which instead of leading me as a Muslimtowards warfare and violence, leads me towardsexhibiting love for all of humanity, is the fact thatin the second verse of the very first chapter of theHoly Qur’an, it is stated that Allah the Almighty isthe “Provider and Sustainer of all the worlds.” Andthe third verse states that He is the “Gracious,Ever-Merciful.”Thus, when Allah the Almighty is the Provider

and Sustainer of all people and Gracious, Ever-Merciful, how could it be that He desired for thosewho believed in Him to mercilessly murder,violently oppose or harm His Creation in any way?Of course the answer is that it is not possible.Nonetheless, Allah the Almighty has certainlypermitted for action to be taken to stop cruelty,inhumanity and injustice.Islam states that a Muslim should seek to stop

the hand of an oppressor and to end all forms ofinjustice and transgression. According to Islamthere are two ways in which this can be achieved.Firstly, it is far better if peace can be attainedthrough mutual dialogue, negotiations anddiplomacy. However, where this is not possible,only then force may be used in order to stopwrongdoing with the intention of establishingsustainable peace.Outside of the religious context, in every society

and nation, there are rules and laws that exist andif they are violated then punitive action isnormally taken. If it is possible to reform withoutpunishment or with just a mild sanction orreprimand that is better; however, if that is notpossible then severe punishment is dulydischarged for the benefit of the wider societyand as a means of deterrent to others.Moving to a religious context, according to

Islam, punishment or sanction is permitted not asa means of revenge or retribution, but only as ameans of ending cruelty or persecution and as ameans of positive reformation. The Holy Qur’anhas said that if a person or group can berehabilitated through forgiveness and mercythen this method should be adopted.However, if clemency or forbearance does not

prove effective then punishment should beadministered as a means of reformation andimprovement. Therefore the philosophy under-pinning punishment in Islam is extremely far-sighted and quite unique. Its purpose is to reform,rehabilitate and improve. It is to develop thehighest standards of human values amongstmankind so that, by adopting the Attributes oftheir Creator, all people come to respect and carefor one another.Therefore, where the rights of an individual or

group are unjustly usurped, Islam permits

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observe that the majority of governments orgroups, whether Muslims or non-Muslims,involved in warfare, also claim that they arefighting for the sake of establishing peace.In terms of perception, it seems that most

people are willing to overlook the warsconducted by certain world powers or at least notaffiliate their actions to any religion or belief.However, as we live in a climate in which Islam’steachings are being targeted, we see that allcruelties or wars carried out by Muslims areimmediately linked to the teachings of Islam. Yetthe voices of those people and those groups whoare earnestly striving to spread Islam’s true andpeaceful teachings are not being heard and notbeing widely publicised.In my opinion this is unjust and extremely

counter-productive. At a time of worldwideconflict, we should remember this basic principlethat it is better for all forms of evil and cruelty tobe suppressed and for all forms of goodness andhumanity to be endorsed. In this way, evil will not

spread far, whilst virtue and peace will spread farand wide and adorn our society.If we promote the good that is happening in the

world, we can overcome those who seek toundermine our cherished values of mercy andhumanity. Yet the world does not seem to haveaccepted or understood this principle and that iswhy the media continues to prioritise itscirculation or viewing figures over and beyondthe peace of the world. The media, which gladlyfocuses on the tiny minority involved in brutalityare feeding the propaganda machines of evilgroups such as Daesh, yet they fail in their dutyto highlight all that is good in the world.This is an injustice that is sowing the seeds of

further division and conflict. In terms of worldpolitics and defeating terrorism, it is necessary toaccept that establishing peace is our paramountobjective and so compromise from all sides isrequired. In case you do not trust the words of aMuslim, let me present to you the views ofeminent non-Muslims who are well-versed in

obedience, as per the demands of love andsubmission. The second purpose is to serveHis people and to utilise all of your capabilitiesand faculties in the loving service of othersand to always show sincere gratitude towhoever is kind to you and to favour them inreturn, whether they be your monarch or ruleror whether they be the most simple andhumble of people. And you should alwayskeep a loving bond with them.”

Furthermore the Founder of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community, has also explained the truemeaning of chapter 16, verse 91 of the HolyQuran, in which Allah the Almighty states:

“Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing ofgood to others; and giving like kindred.”

The Founder of the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity states that in this verse Muslims arecommanded by Allah to be just and fair towardsall others. Therefore, Muslims are commanded tobe kind and to extend favour to all other people,including those who have not been sympatheticto them or favoured them in any way. Finally, heexplained that the verse required a Muslim tolove God’s Creation to such an extent that theyconsidered every person in the world to be liketheir own close family member.In fact, he said that a true Muslim should love

others, irrespective of their background or belief,in the same way that a mother loves her child.Certainly, this is the highest and purest form oflove because in terms of the second stage, wherea person exhibits kindness or favour, it is possiblethat an element of self-projection remains,whether covert or overt, and at some point, theindividual may remind the person of their gestureand seek favour in return.However, a mother’s love is truly selfless and

altruistic and her unique bond with her child issuch that she is willing to sacrifice everything forthe sake of her offspring. She desires nothing inreturn and nor does she require any form ofpraise or tribute. Therefore, this is the ultimatestandard that Islam advocates, whereby Muslimsare taught to love all of humanity as a mother

loves her child. These are the true teachings ofIslam.Allah the Almighty has said that those who

believe in Him should adopt His Attributes and soit is impossible for a true Muslim to be cruel andit is similarly impossible for Islam to permit anyform of injustice, violence or extremism. Over theyears, I have made these points time and timeagain and have highlighted these core Islamicteachings.I have repeatedly quoted the Holy Qur’an to

prove that what I am saying is based on Islam’sauthentic teachings. However, it remains that ourpeaceful and inclusive message is not coveredextensively in the media, whilst on the otherhand those relatively few people involved inbrutality and carnage are given non-stopworldwide media coverage and attention.There is no doubt that the media plays a huge

role in influencing public opinion and so themedia should use this power responsibly - as aforce for good and as a force for peace. It shouldshow the world what true Islam represents, ratherthan focusing on the merciless acts of a minority.Publicity is the oxygen sustaining most terrorist

or extremist groups and so I have no doubt thatif the media takes on board what I have said wewill soon find that the terrorism and violenceafflicting the world will begin to die away.Personally, I cannot comprehend how theextremists who have plagued Islam and violatedits noble teachings, can seek to justify theirhateful acts in its name.Islam’s teachings of peace prohibit all forms of

extremism, to the extent, that even in a state oflegitimate war, Allah has commanded that anyaction or punishment should remain propor-tionate to the crimes committed and that it isbetter if patience and forgiveness is manifest.Thus, all those so-called Muslims who areengaged in violence, injustice and brutality areinviting God’s wrath and anger to their doorstep.At a time when fear of Islam is ever increasing,

let me stress again that the Holy Qur’an hasrepeatedly enjoined love, compassion andbenevolence. If in certain extreme circumstancesthe Qur’an permitted defensive warfare, it wasonly in order to establish peace. Today, we

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“

”

In terms of perception, it seems that most people are willing to overlook thewars conducted by certain world powers or at least not affiliate their actionsto any religion or belief.

However, as we live in a climate in which Islam’s teachings are beingtargeted, we see that all cruelties or wars carried out by Muslims areimmediately linked to the teachings of Islam.

Yet the voices of those people and those groups who are earnestlystriving to spread Islam’s true and peaceful teachings are not beingheard and not being widely publicised.

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political affairs and who desire peace in theworld. For example, when speaking about how todefeat extremism and in particular the terroristgroup Daesh, Austria’s Foreign Minister recentlysaid:

“We need a pragmatic approach, includingthe involvement of President Al-Assad in thefight against Islamic State terror. In myopinion the priority is the fight againstterrorism. This is not possible without powerssuch as Russia and Iran.”

Further, Professor John Gray, a retired politicalphilosopher who taught for many years atLondon School of Economics, recently wroteabout the importance of prioritising peace overthe type of political system in place. He wrote:

“The form of government – democratic,despotic, monarchical or republican – is lessimportant than the capacity to deliverpeace.”

In my opinion, this was an extremely insightfulcomment, yet the world’s major powers havecontinued to prioritise regime change incountries that were previously relatively stable.For example, the West was determined to

remove Saddam Hussein from Iraq and thepainful consequences of that war 13 years agocontinue to be felt to this day. Another prominentexample is Libya, whereby President Gaddafi wasforcibly removed from office in 2011 and eversince Libya has spiralled into a state oflawlessness and unbridled chaos.A direct consequence of the political vacuum in

Libya has been the fact that Daesh has now builta significant base and terror network in thecountry, which it is continuing to strengthen. Thesituation is now extremely dangerous, not onlyfor the region, but also for Europe and this issomething that I warned of some years ago.Therefore, the priority in such countries shouldnot be regime change for the sake of it.Rather, it should be to ensure that the members

of the public are given their due rights and forlong-term peace to be established. Going back to

Syria, I agree with the Austrian Foreign Ministerwhen he says that the overriding objectiveshould be to establish peace. Hence, the majorpowers should be willing to open the channels ofcommunication with Syria’s Government and toseek the help of other neighbouring countriesthat have influence in the region.Remember, positive change is only possible if

one is willing to set aside their personal interestsfor the greater good and is willing to act fairly atall times. As I have already said, Islam says thatjustice is the foundation upon which peace isbuilt. And so we must pay heed to the urgentissues of our time. For many years I have warnedthat the world is moving rapidly towards anotherWorld War and now others are reaching the sameconclusion.In fact, some prominent people are now saying

that they believe that a World War has alreadybegun. Nonetheless, I believe that we still havethe time to stop such a war in its tracks but thesolution remains, as I have already said, to actwith justice and to leave aside all vested interests.On a number of previous occasions, I have spokenabout the critical importance of cutting thefunding and supply lines of extremist groups.Yet it cannot be said that full efforts are being

made in this regard. For example, a recent specialinvestigative report published by the Wall StreetJournal stated that Daesh was acquiring hugequantities of US dollars from auctions being heldby Iraq’s central bank.Those same dollars were being provided to Iraq

directly from the Federal Reserve in the UnitedStates. The article stated that the US Governmenthad known about this since at least June 2015,but personally I believe that world powers knewabout such trading for much longer.Furthermore, in terms of the sale of oil, it is well-

known that different groups and evengovernments are purchasing oil from Daesh. Whyhas this trade not been stopped? Why havecomprehensive sanctions not been imposed toprevent such deals? It seems that when it comesto acquiring oil, morality goes out of the window.This is a point that was also made by ProfessorLeif Wenar of King’s College London in a recentarticle where he said:

“The world tolerates all forms of atrocities forthe sake of gaining oil. Thus countries havebought oil from Daesh and from Sudanwhere a lot of human rights abuses havetaken place. This is a violation of properfundamental market economics – wherebyviolence should not create property rights.”

Furthermore, in a recent article, the Director ofthe Iraq Energy Institute explained how Daeshwas selling its oil. The author wrote:

“Crude oil is transported by tankers to Jordanvia Anbar province, to Iran via Kurdistan, toTurkey via Mosul, to Syria's local market andto the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where mostof it gets refined locally. It defies logic to saythat state officials are not complicit in thistrade.”

Therefore, whilst it is claimed that all possibleefforts are being made to eradicate terrorism andextremism, the evidence does not substantiatethis claim. Given all of this, how can it be said thatthere is true justice in the world? How can it beclaimed that honesty and integrity areconsidered paramount? Similarly, recently therehas been widespread media coverage docu-menting the global arms trade.According to official reports last year the United

States exported weapons worth $46.6 billiondollars, which was an increase of more than $12billion dollars from the previous year. It wasfurther reported that the majority of thoseweapons were sold to countries in the MiddleEast and in turn they were fuelling the wars in

Syria, Iraq and Yemen. I reiterate that if suchtrading is taking place, how is it possible forjustice and peace to be established?These few examples I have cited are all in the

public domain and are the views of respectedanalysts and commentators. Until principles ofjustice are exhibited at all levels of society andbetween nations we will not see true peace in theworld. Without justice it could take decades todefeat the evil that is Daesh and other extremistgroups.However, if the world heeds this message and

comes to manifest justice and genuine efforts aremade to restrict the funding and supply lines ofterrorism then I believe – unlike a retiredAmerican Military General who recently said thewar against Daesh will last between 10 and 20years – that the networks of terrorism tormentingthe world can be destroyed imminently.In conclusion, it is my belief that unless the

world comes to recognise its Creator and acceptsHim as the Sustainer of mankind, true justicecannot prevail. Not only will true justice notprevail, but we will also experience a lethalnuclear war whose catastrophic consequenceswill be faced by our future generations. I pray thatthe world comes to understand this reality. I praythat we all play our respective roles in furtheringthe cause of humanity. And I pray that true peace,based upon justice, is established in all parts ofthe world. With these words I would like to onceagain take the opportunity to thank all of ourguests for joining us this evening.

May Allah bless you all. Thank you very much.”

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Key for Salutations:

sa Sallallaaho Alaihi wa Sallam – “May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.”This is written after the

name of the Holy Prophetsa.

as Alaihis Salaam– “May peace be upon him.” This is written after the name of Prophets other than the Holy

Prophetsa.

ra Razi-Allaaho anhu/anha/anhum – “May Allah be pleased with him/her.” This is written after names of

the Companions of the Holy Prophetsa and of the Promised Messiahas.

aba Ayyadahullaahu Ta’aalaa binasrihil Aziz – “May Allah the Almighty help him with His powerful support”

Written after the name of the current Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

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First of all, I would like to take this opportunity tothank the worldwide head of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community, Hazrat Mirza MasroorAhmad, for this wonderful award and for invitingme to this event today. I am honoured for I did notthink anyone would know about me.I am from Iraq where I do my best to help

children – children who have suffered terribly andneed protection. I have been working in the field of child

protection for many years because I believe wemust do everything we can to support children'srights and to improve their lives, because theyhave the right to survive and thrive in spite of allthe conflicts and disputes in Syria and Iraq …. Lifeis very difficult in refugee camps and is difficult toimagine. People cannot get the basic needs suchas food, shelter, health and education. We are all human, we are all equal and those

children are our shared responsibility. Their voicesneed to be heard, and their right to live in dignitywith their beloved ones must be respected. It isheartbreaking to see children orphaned, or tohave lost their family members. They must knowthat we all are there to help them.I, like many other refugee workers, do what we

can in very difficult conditions. There areproblems, threats and the ongoing war but I amdetermined to go on. You don’t know how happyit makes me to see children smile, when they seethat they can come to child friendly space andplay with their peers. It was a real relief for me tohear the voices of their laughter. It was a greatexperience for me and only few people can feelthe difference who went through the samesituation. They are children so should enjoy ahappy childhood.

The majority of children when they were firstattending the camps were so fearful and worriedand one could notice that through their drawingsabout tanks and military aircrafts but I work tochange that thinking and after few months, theystarted to draw optimistic things like beingteachers or even humanitarian workers to assistconflict uprooted families.I want to say a few words about the current

situation for displaced people and Syrian refugeesliving in Iraq; Around 10 million people are in needof humanitarian assistance and protection in Iraq.3.2 million people are internally displaced. Inaddition, Iraq hosts around 250,000 Syrianrefugees. They are all fleeing from violence andconflict and have the right to seek safety andprotection. All I ask is that all parties to the conflict must

ensure that displaced people can move freely inorder to access lifesaving humanitarian assistanceand protection. Syrian refugees face hard issues when they try

to travel to Europe to live a better life. They arevulnerable to death while passing all thedangerous route to Europe. It is a horrible choice– to stay and survive in a war zone or to leave andtake a dangerous journey with little else but hope.I pray the conflict ends soon.Finally I would like to take this opportunity to

thank all of you for listening to me. I appreciatethe wonderful work the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity is doing to help those suffering. I praythat all of us can do more to end the conflict andend the suffering, especially of our children.Thank you.

Introduction to the 2015 recipient of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancementof Peace

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace is aninternational award that was launched in 2009. It is awarded inrecognition of an individual’s or an organisation’s contribution forthe advancement of the cause of peace.

Address by Hadeel Qassim

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace

Hadeel Qassim from Iraq has made a tremendousdifference to the lives of refugees, especiallychildren who have been displaced as a result ofconflicts. Hadeel was a refugee herself when her family

fled to Syria when the Iraq war started in 2003.They stayed there for one year and while living asa refugee in Syria, she experienced first hand howchildren, fleeing their home need special care andattention. This moved her to help other children –in particular to support Syrian children as Syrianshelped her family and other Iraqi refugees duringthe Iraq conflict. On returning to Iraq Hadeel decided to leave

home and live in the dangerous and inhospitablerefugee camps in extreme temperatures to servein the field of child protection.

The children live in dire conditions – indilapidated tents and many are contaminated to adegree where children get respiratory diseasesfrom living in them. The children have faced abuse,torture, sexual violence, beatings and threats.Many have also lost their entire family in the warand they are in desperate need of psychologicaland social support.Hadeel has worked tirelessly to provide children

with hope and a small but vital degree of security.Hadeel worked to support and assist children

during the terrible conflicts and who hadwitnessed the horrors of war. She has also workedin Erbil to alleviate the sufferings of Kurdish childrefugees. More recently Hadeel has been workingwith displaced people in Baghdad again to dowhat she can to help them.

At the 2016 Peace Symposium, the National President of theAhmadiyya Muslim Community UK paid tribute to Lord Avebury whowas a true champion for the human rights of all. He was a dear friendof the Community and served in Parliament for more than 50 years.May God reward Lord Avebury abundantly for his noble work that hecarried out throughout his life. Ameen.

Tribute to Lord Eric Avebury

YEAR RECIPIENT2009 Lord Eric Avebury – UK2010 Abdul Sattar Edhi – Pakistan2011 SOS Children’s Villages – UK2012 Dr Boachie-Adjei – Ghana2013 Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow – Scotland2014 Mrs Sindhutai Sapkal – India2015 Hadeel Qassim – Iraq

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It is distressing that the world today is steeped inmuch conflict and turmoil. In just this past monthwe have seen bombings in Pakistan and Turkeyand innocent civilians murdered in Ivory Coast. Ifwe reflect wider we see that there are growingtensions in many countries with an increase insupremacist and extremist views as countries faceeconomic hardships. Additionally as the terribleconflicts rage on across the Middle East thedisplacement of millions of people adds furtherstrain on international relations.It is a bleak picture and one that leaves little

room for real hope. However as ever in such timesit becomes even more important to retain hopeand it becomes even more critical for people tosee how such challenges can be overcome andhow peace can really be achieved. This is one reason why this event is held, so that

we can unite for the sake of saving, serving andpreserving humanity. Indeed we believe that itwas for the sake of uniting humanity that thefounder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Communitywas commissioned in 1889, by God, as thereformer of this age. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad– whom we accept as the Promised Messiah -founded the community in India and sought torevive the true teachings of Islam which areteachings of peace. And it is this message and absolute belief in

peace, compassion and justice, coupled with adesire to win the pleasure of God, that thecommunity has grown and expanded to 207countries of the world. The community is entirelyself-funding, is focused on education,humanitarian work and the jihad of self-improvement and of spreading peace. These areprinciples of peace that are based on an

unequivocal belief in a compassionate, livingGod. After the demise of the founder the community

has been led by a series of Caliphs who have heldaloft the torch of peace for the past 127 years.Today the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is theworld’s largest organised Muslim community ledby a global spiritual leader and it is our distincthonour that tonight our Caliph, His HolinessHazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad is with us and willdeliver the keynote address. In his speeches in parliaments and other forums

across the world, His Holiness has repeatedlyurged mankind to focus on unity as opposed todivision and stressed the need to work togetherto eradicate every form of extremism andterrorism. He has also called upon theinternational community to work on the principleof absolute justice so that all have equalopportunities to live in peace and to work for thecause of peace. Indeed it is under His Holiness’swise leadership that the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity has instigated global campaigns forpeace. In the UK alone this has included anoutreach programme that has already reachedmore than 5 million households in person. We are delighted that you all have chosen to be

with us tonight and if only everyone had thesame desire to learn, increase understanding andmake sincere efforts for peace, then I am sure theworld would be a much more harmonious place.We thank you and hope that the eveningprovides food for thought and brings us all closerfor the sake of peace.

INTRODUCTION AND GUEST SPEAKERS

RAFIQ HAYATNational President (Amir) of the

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK

It’s a great pleasure to be invited to today'ssymposium, which continues to grow fromstrength to strength after many years. I welcomeHis Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad toMerton as an internationally respected voice ofpeace. I would like to pay tribute to an individualwho dedicated his life to serving the cause ofpeace, a former winner of the prestigiousAhmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize, which we arecelebrating today. Lord Avebury, sadly passedaway earlier this year after a life dedicated to theprotection of human rights, religious and of ethnicminorities throughout the world. His loss is feltgreatly, and his life of fighting for justice is a modelto us all. I crave your indulgence in remembering a great

friend of mine and colleague and a great friend ofthe Ahmadiyya community and of Baitul Futuh

Mosque in particular, Councillor Maxi Martincannot be with us tonight because she is unwell.It is the first peace symposium that she has evermissed and it would be a great comfort to her if Icould tell her that you will remember her in yourthoughts and prayers. I am so proud that theBorough of Merton is the UK and worldwideheadquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslimcommunity, which makes an incredible contri-bution to the richness and diversity of ourcommunity. It is a community that contributesgreatly to this country and your belief in peace andreligious tolerance is an example to us all – as youwould expect from a community whose motto is,“Love for All, Hatred For None”. I am very proud tochair the All Party Parliamentary Group for theAhmadiyya Muslim community to make my smallcontribution to the vital aim of justice, thank you.

SIOBHAIN MCDONAGH MPSiobhain McDonagh Member of Parliament forMitcham and Morden, Chair of the All PartyParliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity

ZAC GOLDSMITH MPMP for Richmond Park and North Kingston

Your Holiness, members of the congregation, Iwant to thank you for inviting me to thismagnificent occasion. I have never left thismosque yet without a feeling of deep inspirationand also positivity, even after the fire thataffected this mosque very badly, at the end of lastyear. I want to thank Stephen Hammond, a very

good friend of mine and a local MP - your localMP. He has been a loyal friend of this mosque inparliament, working hard always across partylines to make sure that you have a voice at thehighest levels of government. Today more than ever, that voice is needed, it

must be heard. London is one of the most diverse

“I am so proud that the Borough of Merton is the UK and worldwideheadquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which makes anincredible contribution to the richness and diversity of our community.”

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cities on earth. Eight and a half million people 300languages and the whole world effectively walksthe streets of our great city. People make theirlives here because of the freedom we offer to bewho you want to be. “Love for All Hatred for None”, it is an ideal this

community holds dear but really it should be amotto for the whole of Greater London and manyof you here in this hall know from direct personalexperiences the scale of the challenge that we areup against. For over a century the AhmadiyyaMuslim community has taken a stand againsthatred, but you have faced it down withcompassion, with love and with practical help tobring communities together. Everyday, you put those values into practice,

from the young Ahmadi Muslims who go out onthe street of London every autumn and sellpoppies for the Royal British Legion, to LordAhmad, my very good friend here who serves thiscountry as a minister of the Crown working dayin day out at the Home Office to tackle thescourge of extremism. But there is one image forme, which sums up what the Ahmadiyya are allabout. And it is the red double decker busemblazoned with the words ‘United AgainstExtremism’, an iconic symbol of London carryinga universal message of peace and solidarity…Ilook forward to working very closely with thiscommunity and more importantly I look forwardto learning from this community. Thank you verymuch for inviting me here today.

It’s an immense pleasure and privilege for me toaddress this august gathering once again and I doso as the minister responsible for counteringextremism. The challenge we face which is bothdomestic and indeed international. But there canbe no better example than that exemplified by theAhmadiyya Muslim Community and indeed thatunder the Divine and inspirational Leadership ofHis Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, whoconfront and counter extremism, not just by wordsbut by actions, not just domestically butinternationally. A living walking example of how aMuslim community, a true Muslim communityguided by God with a Khalifa at the helm, a Khalifaguided by God, the Khalifa of Islam; who inspiresnot just his own community but people around theworld. Indeed as we have heard His Holiness hasaddressed many parliamentarians and I am

delighted I am joined by colleagues from across thepolitical spectrum today but in particular by mycolleagues within government, those who areserving, such as Justine Greening, such as PaulScully and others who are serving and raising thevoice of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community aboutthe justice and the inspiration that you provide.Equally I am also delighted we are joined by theformer Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, who alsohas been a good friend of the Ahmadiyya MuslimCommunity. All of us stand by the community, Iperhaps have a personal connection because I amof the community. But that also instills in me thatdesire to serve humanity, an example which isinspired by our Holiness Hazrat Mirza MasroorAhmad. So ladies and gentlemen, I think we arehere not just to listen today but also to learn but itis a delight and honour to be with you once again.

support to the people that we work for. Many ofthem do it with funding from DFID, but actuallywe wouldn’t be able to do the work we dowithout UK charities like Save the Children, likeMary’s Meals and so many others, but one ofthose of course is Humanity First and another oneof course is the Ahmadiyya Muslim YouthAssociation. Both of these elements of thecommunity play their own important role inhelping to rise to the challenge that thesemassive numbers of people who need so much

support to stay alive. So I just want to say how proud I am to be able

to play a role in representing the community as alocal MP but also to say that in my broader rolewithin government. It’s a privilege to be able towork alongside Humanity First and to see thefantastic fund raising that the youth associationdoes to enable Humanity First to do so muchwork, so thank you very much and I hope we havean enjoyable evening. Thank you.

“But there is one image for me, whichsums up what the Ahmadiyya are allabout. And it is the red double deckerbus emblazoned with the words ‘UnitedAgainst Extremism’, an iconic symbol ofLondon carrying a universal message ofpeace and solidarity.”

LORD AHMAD OF WIMBLEDON Minister for Countering Extremism

and Minister for Transport

It’s a privilege to be able to work alongside Humanity First and to seethe fantastic fund raising that the youth association does to enableHumanity First to do so much work...”

It’s a real privilege to be able to join all of you andso many distinguished guests along with HisHoliness for tonight’s event. We have a recordnumber of people now who rely on humanitariansupport just to literally be able to stay alive, it’s125 million people and the problem that theyface is it’s really the size of a country, but theydon’t have a head of state. So when I go to theUnited Nations like I did on Monday this week,there isn’t that head of state there to talk aboutwhat their issues are and to make sure that theirchildren are in school, that they have the kind ofhealth that they need. That’s left to the rest of usto make sure that that happens and I am very

proud that our country is one of those that doesplay a key role in making sure that people aroundthe world who need help, whether they areaffected by the Syria crisis or whether they are inplaces where the cameras often aren’t, whetherit’s Sudan or Central African Republic that we areone of those countries who is there tirelesslyworking away. I say the word country becausealthough I am obviously very involved in whatthe UK government is doing, actually one of thethings I have been proudest of in this role is tomeet the many British people and British charitiesthat are working alongside the Department forInternational Development to help provide

RT HON JUSTINE GREENING MPSecretary for State for InternationalDevelopment

.”.. a true Muslim community guided by God with a Khalifa at the helm,a Khalifa guided by God, the Khalifa of Islam; who inspires not just hisown community but people around the world.”

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The 2016 National Peace Symposium

Meeting with members of the British press.

Over 900 people attended the Symposium and were also given a tour of the Baitul Futuh Mosque complex.

Meeting with members of the Asian press. Various exhibitions about the community's workwere featured at the event.

Meeting with Parliamentarians and diplomats.

Message of Supportfrom The Vatican

Loyalty

Freedom

Equality

Respect

Peace

www.LoveForAllHatredForNone.org

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UKThe London Mosque16 Gressenhall RoadLondon SW18 5QLTel: 020 8874 5836Fax: 020 8874 4779

www.alislam.org • www.mta.tv

Email: ExternalAffairs@ahmadiyya.org.uk

Twitter:@AhmadiyyaUK