Thank you for letting me send this short message of support on behalf of my political party, the Liberal Democrats. I want to say thank you to the whole community. Thank you for all the amazing charitable work you do. From Humanity First to the hands on help so generously offered time and again, not least, by the youth movement. Thank you for getting involved in so many community events. From selling poppies ahead of Remembrance Sunday to organising street parties for this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for our Queen. And thank you, above all, to His Holiness, for his advice and guidance to me, but especially for his global leadership, for the cause of peace in our troubled world. That’s why we must also remember that millions of Ahmadis around the world still face persecution and discrimination on a daily basis. Especially in Pakistan, where targeted killings, the desecration of mosques are now shockingly commonplace. The Liberal Democrats and I will continue to hold the UK government to account and work with them, cross-party, to make sure our country is doing all that we can to combat the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims wherever it occurs.

I want to thank you for all you have done in this country and in the many, many countries in which you live to support humanity. I myself have seen how you have been promoting vaccination through the pop-up vaccination clinic in Farnham, which was a fantastic example of the Ahmadi Community working to help that programme reach some of the harder to reach communities. And, of course, this is something that you’ve always stood for since you built the first mosque in the UK, in Putney and now in South London, Europe’s largest mosque. The Ahmadi Muslim community has always been a beacon for tolerance for people of many faiths and none coming together, living in harmony, peace and happiness [and] that central message of ‘Love for all, hatred for none’ has never been more important. Thank you for your wonderful work.

In Westminster, I am proud to have recently been reelected as the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. As a group, we continue to work cross-party to raise religious persecution and hate with the government. No one should be discriminated against because of their religious beliefs. That’s why the continuing reports of persecution around the world towards the Ahmadi Muslim community must be condemned, loud and clear. 

I remain hugely concerned about the persecution that Ahmadi Muslims continue to face and this persecution is now following you into the online space. At the recent Freedom of religion or belief ministerial, as a government, we stood in solidarity with you, and I’m grateful to you for hosting two events to highlight your own situation. But despite all of this, I’m always so inspired to see the work that you do here in the UK, your charitable efforts are exemplary. And your work in building cohesive societies encapsulates your slogan of ‘Love for all, hatred for none’. For more than a century, you’ve given so much to this country. Where you face persecution and hate, you faced it down with compassion. 

I have the greatest respect for the Ahmadiyya Community in the UK and we have incredibly good links. We stand together as people of faith and we understand the significance of being of strong faith.

Whether it’s saving lives, whether it’s comforting people, whether it’s reaching out to people within your community, whether it’s feeding the nation and your community, getting people around through transport as well. You have played a huge role in the fight back against the pandemic.

On behalf of the Labour Party, I’d like to send my heartfelt good wishes to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The Labour Party stands with you [for] your fight for peace, justice, and tolerance across the world. I’m incredibly thankful for your immense contribution throughout the last 18 months. You opened your mosque doors as part of the vaccine rollout. You provided meals and essential supplies to our most vulnerable. And of course, you’ve worked on the front line. Your efforts have saved lives and kept the country going.

The spirit of service to humanity which your community exemplifies, captured beautifully in your renowned slogan of “Love for all, hatred for none”, has been very much in evidence, as I have seen for myself in the incredible work the community is doing across the UK in response to challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. From providing PPE and social support, hosting vaccination centres across mosques and your community centres, to ‘Easy Cooking Campaigns’ – these are all great examples of how you have pulled together during times of unprecedented challenge and helped each other – and for that all I can say is thank you and keep going!