PEACE CONFERENCE CALLS FOR AN END TO GLOBAL POVERTY
Press Release

500 gathered at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, London to promote the peaceful co-existence of people of all faiths and beliefs. It was the 3rd Annual Peace Conference of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held on 29th March 2008.

Siobhain McDonagh MP for Mitcham and Morden said:

“It is extraordinary that anyone who knows anything about Islam can associate your faith with the actions of violent Islamic extremists. Islam is a religion based on tolerance and respect and it is a religion that encourages all people to practise their own faiths without hindrance and without threats.”

The Shadow Attorney General Dominic Grieve MP said:

“The exchanges of ideas enable us to understand better. I wish this Community, which has been making such an enormous contribution to our national life, both in terms of the meetings we have here, but also in terms of the contributions of the individuals in our national life, all blessings and success.”

The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“It is extremely necessary to develop ties of kinship and brotherhood between peoples of different backgrounds.
“It is a great regret that ‘walls of hatred’ have been erected by those opposed to a peaceful society when there was no religion in this world, be it Islam, Christianity or any faith which advocated the destruction of peace. Thus it must be the goal of all peace loving people to break down such barriers.
“The history bears witness that the Ahmadiyya Community has constantly strived for peace and love within all societies. This message has not been adopted apologetically to suit the current times, but in fact this message of peace has always been fundamental to the Ahmadiyya Community and is based upon the teachings of the Quran.”

Identifying the issue of global poverty and inadequate education as the root cause of unrest in the world Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“If instead of supplying arms and ammunition, countries embroiled in conflict are helped with food, unrest will abate. Efforts should be made to extend educational and medical facilities to all remote areas. The rights of the needy and deprived are not limited to food but also include education and opportunities to progress, otherwise unrest will spread.”

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad extended his thanks to the British Government and to the people of Britain for their continued protection of basic human and civil rights, and praised the entrenched traditions of religious freedom in the United Kingdom and expressed his desire that this principle may never be compromised. Turning his attention to the Muslims in the audience, he said:

“As the Quran says, you have been raised for the good of mankind – not just for the good of Muslims.
“Love of your country is a part of your faith. And, compliance of the laws of the land is as important as that of the Sharia.
“Of course there should be no laws which interfered with a person’s right to his own personal worship. But if it was so, as Ahmadis have demonstrated in Pakistan, Muslims should endure the hardship or emigrate and not cause unrest.
“The unity that binds the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is based upon the system of Khilafat – the system of spiritual succession to the Promised Messiah – which has enabled us to adhere to the beautiful teachings of true Islam”

END OF RELEASE

Ahmadiyya Muslim Association U.K.
(ESTABLISHED 1914)
The Baitul Futuh Mosque, 181 London Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 5HF
Tel 020 8687 7800 Fax 020 8687 7899
Press Enquiry Email basharat.nazir@btinternet.com Tel 07703 483 384