ISLAMIC HEAD PREACHES MESSAGE OF PEACE
Botched bombmaker’s mayhem in central London fails todeter Masroor Ahmad from his mission advocating an end to deter Masroor Ahmad from his mission advocating an end inequality and armed conflict
On Sept 15, Iraqi teenager Ahmed Hassan detonated a homemade bomb on a London Underground train during morning rush hour, injuring 30 people and spreading fear and panic across the the transport networks of the British capital. Six months later, the 18-year-old was convicted of attempted murder by London’s Old Bailey and sentenced to life imprisonment.
News of Hassan’s attempted atrocity — that nobody died was a result of his botched bombmaking skills rather than any lack of deadly intent — spread quickly across the world’s media. The same interlinked keywords resurfaced. Terrorist. Extremist. Muslim.
This fed further into a narrative that is increasingly pervading society — that Muslims are the leading cause of terror, unrest and strife in the world.
A frequent criticism of the faith among Western people is that Muslims are not seen to do enough to discourage extremism. And yet, the day after Hassan’s conviction, the same city which he sought to sow fear and carnage in played host to a gathering of Muslims with a very different message — one of peace.
Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which numbers some 100 million people from almost every country, met in London for the annual National Peace Symposium, where the Caliph of Islam, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, delivered a speech detailing comprehensive steps towards ridding the world of conflict.
Despite the reach of the Ahmadiyya, chances are that you have never even heard of it, nor Masroor Ahmad or the message delivered by a leader known among his following as the “Man of Peace”.
His Holiness began his message by outlining the two basic principles that underpin every tenet of Islam: “Our faith demands us to try and urge people, in all parts of the world, whether rich or poor, whether powerful or oppressed, whether religious or irreligious, towards peace and justice.
“Hence, we will continue to play our role in making mankind realise its duty towards respecting and honouring basic human values. The core teachings of Islam are to fulfill the rights of our creator and to fulfil the rights of our fellow human beings.”
Masroor Ahmad then went on to identify the root causes of the lack of peace in the world today, and his steps to remedy them.
RELIEVING INEQUALITY
According to Habitat For Humanity, an Atlantabased charity organisation combating homelessness, 1.6 billion people worldwide lack adequate housing; 795 million people do not have enough food to live an active life; and 1.1 billion people do not have adequate access to clean water.
According to the Koran, when the rich among society do not take care of the needs of the poor, this causes disquiet and unrest, eventually leading to the poorer classes of society rising up against the rich.
Applying these teachings, His Holiness identified that one of the key causes of instability and unrest is the glaring inequality in wealth.
The developed world places importance on the tackling of environmental issues and while Masroor Ahmad admits this is “an extremely precious and noble cause”, more attention needs to be paid to the “bettering the lives of people around the world”.
His Holiness emphasised that the “world’s poorest nations do not concern themselves with the environment, nor the latest figures on carbon emissions; rather, they wake up each day wondering if they will be able to feed their children”.
Giving the example of children who have to travel miles just to collect water for their families, Masroor Ahmad pointed out that this leaves them “unable to go to school, or to attain any form of education. They are stuck in a vicious cycle of illiteracy and poverty that is seemingly endless and hugely damaging to society”.
With t he proliferation of social media and other technology, the standard of living and wealth enjoyed by the wealthier nations of the world can now easily be seen by those living in poverty. His Holiness stated that “witnessing the great disparity in their circumstances, compared to others, is cultivating further agitation”.
“Those who have nothing come to view their own corrupt leaders with contempt and see the world’s major powers as the enemy,” he added.
Preying upon this situation, “extremists have free rein to radicalise and brainwash” the illiterate youth of society and “take advantage of the fact that the rulers of those countries have, more often than not, failed their people”.
We can see in the world today that a combination of the above factors is leading to radicalisation, as well as mass migration to Europe and then a subsequent rise in nationalism in the affected countries.
As a remedy to the root cause of these issues, His Holiness said: “If we truly wish to protect our world and to ensure we leave behind a legacy of opportunity for those who follow us, it is essential that every effort is made to raise the standards of the developing world.
“Poor nations must not be looked down upon. Rather we should consider them as part of our family; our brothers and sisters. By helping the developing nations stand on their own feet, and by giving their people opportunities and hope, we will actually be helping ourselves and safeguarding the future of the world. Otherwise, we
are already seeing that poverty and destitution in the developing world is negatively affecting the rest of the world.”
ENDING THE ARMS TRADE
The Global Peace Index shows just 11 sovereign states are not currently involved in any form of armed conflict — namely Switzerland, Japan, Qatar, Mauritius, Uruguay, Chile, Botswana, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Panama and Brazil.
According to Amnesty International, 70% of the weapons sold in the arms trade are supplied by the five permanent members of the United Nations — namely the United States, China, France, Russia and United Kingdom. Between 2007 and 2016, four of the top 10 importers of arms were Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia (1st), Qatar (3rd), UAE (7th), and Iraq (8th).
Masroor Ahmad spelled out the terror and devastation that these weapons are causing and the selfish motives behind those countries who sell them. “Quite openly and proudly, the major powers are trading arms that are being used to kill, maim and brutalise innocent people,” he said. “Regrettably, such nations are focused only on attempts to boost their economy and to maximise their nation’s capital, without pausing for thought at the consequences.”
Furthermore, “countless children are seeing their parents being killed in the most inhumane fashion” through the use of these weapons, making them prime targets for radicalisation.
“Extremists target those immersed in poverty and … those children or youths who have been brutalised by war,” His Holiness said.
“They recruit such youngsters in the knowledge that their minds are not yet mature, and are easily manipulated into seeking bloody revenge through terrorism.
“Instead of being in school, getting an education so that they grow into decent, law-abiding citizens, the only education an entire generation of children is getting is how to master grenades or rocket launchers, how to do suicide attacks and how to wreak havoc in the world.”
DIPLOMACY INSTEAD OF FORCE
Masroor Ahmad surmised that “it seems that the world has not learned from its past mistakes” and despite the fact that the Iraq war was widely seen as “unjust and based on false pretences” and that Libya “has descended into chaos and a hotbed of extremism”, major world powers are still pursuing policies that are fuelling conflict rather than abating it.
His Holiness emphasised the need for diplomacy and urged the world to “recognise the fact that force rarely leads to any long-term benefit”.
He stated that when resolving conflicts between nations “the major powers should proceed with caution and wisdom and endeavour to listen to the concerns of each party” and that they “should pursue diplomacy and prioritise a de-escalation in tensions”.
“They should strive to negotiate peace deals and agreements that are not biased in favour of one side, but that address the concerns of all sides. Furthermore, once peace is achieved, we should let go of any past enmities or hatred and march forward together with a spirit of mutual respect and regard.”
FORGIVENESS, NOT REVENGE
In conclusion, Masroor Ahmad chose to end his address with an example from the Prophet Muhammad to illustrate is indeed a religion of peace. “The single greatest example of forgiveness, benevolence and mercy in the history of mankind is the blessed example of the Founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad,” he said.
“For 13 years, he and his followers were subjected to the most brutal persecution imaginable and were driven out of their homes and forced to migrate from the city of Makkah.
“During that period, the Muslims were brutally martyred, physically and mentally tortured and subjected to t he harshest possible social deprivation.
“Muslims were forced to lie directly upon burning coals for long periods. Muslim women had their legs tied to different camels that were then made to run in opposing directions, literally wrenching their bodies into two separate parts. Yet, when the Holy Prophet Muhammad returned victoriously to Makkah, he did not take a single drop of blood in revenge; rather, according to the command of Allah the Almighty, he proclaimed that all of his tormentors and all those who had violently opposed Islam were to be instantly forgiven.
“He declared that under Islamic rule, all people would be free to practise their own religions and beliefs, without any interference or cause for fear. His only condition was that each member of society remained committed to peace.
“He instructed that all people, no matter their caste, creed or colour, were to have their rights protected and be treated with respect at all times.
“This was the timeless and magnificent example of the Prophet of Islam and it is this spirit of compassion, grace and mercy that Muslims and non-Muslims need to adopt in the world today. It is this spirit of forgiveness and benevolence that all nations, whether large or small, rich or poor, need to develop. Only then will long-term peace be attainable.
“With all my heart, I pray that mankind comes to recognise its duties to one another, so that those who follow us remember us with pride and gratitude. Let us look to tomorrow and not just today. Let us save our future generations.”