Banners proclaiming Loyalty, Freedom and Peace come to British cities

 

One of Britain’s oldest Muslim communities, founded more than a century ago on the basis of the peaceful practice of Islam, is launching a nationwide campaign to drive home a message of peace and to counter Islamophobia.

 

Following 810 ‘peace buses’ already launched last year, a further 240 will buses run in British cities with banners asserting the essence of Muslim belief- Love for All, Hatred for None. Leaflets proclaiming Loyalty, Freedom, Equality, Respect and Peace as values that Muslims hold dear, are being delivered to every household in the UK –1.3M doorsteps have already been visited and 1M more are being visited in 2011.

 

At the very heart of the campaign by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is its long held belief that it is not sufficient to simply  proclaim that Islam is a religion of peace- one must live this belief by setting an example.

 

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been in the UK since 1913 and has branches in towns and cities across the UK.

 

The community is actively engaged in fundraising, volunteering, peace conferences, interfaith work and supporting British charities such as Great Ormond Street, Cancer Research UK, Barnardos and Humanity First.

His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, worldwide leader of the International Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has relentlessly emphasised the message of peace and says:

“A true Muslim can never raise his voice in hatred against his fellow citizens, nor for that matter against the ruling authority or government of the time… he should remain loyal and fully abide by the laws of the land of which he is a subject.”

 

Rafiq Hayat, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, said:

“We are simply articulating what Islam is all about- Loyalty, Freedom, Equality, Respect and Peace.

“Ignorance of Islam and Muslims has allowed a culture of suspicion and prejudice to develop in society and this is further fuelled by a tiny minority of extremists who reject the common values that we all hold dear.

 

“Our campaign therefore aims to shed a little light of understanding and knowledge about true Islam.

 

“The vast majority of Muslims contribute to the wellbeing of the country in which they live.  Indeed it is in all our interests – as well as an act of faith- to be good and loyal citizens and we must not allow extremist thinking and behaviour to destroy our social peace.

 

“Hate, violence and extremism has no place in Islam let alone any civilised society and we must all work together to isolate the extremists rather than let them divide us.”

 

The community has launched a dedicated website www.LoveForAllHatredForNone.org for those who want to find out more about the true peaceful message of Islam.

 

 

Ends