Spreading our message of peace

At the end of August, I and tens of thousands of others from across the country will head to a unique event where we will pledge to make a difference.

It is a pledge we make each year - and annually the ranks of people around the world joining us are increasing. For we are a community that, since its inception in the 19th century, has renounced war, religious conflict and hatred and devoted ourselves to the cause of peace and universal brotherhood.

We are all members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which has also recently celebrated 100 years in Britain – a fact made all the more poignant with the centenary of the First World War.

We will be travelling to a three-day convention in Hampshire from August 29-31 where some 30,000 people from more than 100 countries will converge. The proceedings will be broadcast round the world live including in the UK on Sky Channel 787.

The convention, called the Jalsa Salana, is the oldest and largest Muslim convention of its kind in the UK. The focal point of the event will be addresses by His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, head of worldwide Ahmadiyya Community, who is our Caliph.

He leads a community that brings together people from different races and social backgrounds united in Islam, and a particular branch of the faith that has peace and enlightenment as its bedrock. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is founded on an ethos of our motto of Love for All Hatred for None, of service to humanity and charity.

When we proclaim that Islam means peace, we set an example of this fact in our daily lives. No individual should perceive a threat from us by our words or actions if we are to remain true to Islam.

At the convention we will give thanks for the religious freedom we enjoy in Britain, but we will reflect on the tragic events and the terrible conflict in the Middle East and the suffering of the people there and other countries where people are suffering.

For all of them we use the greatest ‘weapon’ at our disposal – prayer. It is our firm belief that faith can move mountains, so whilst we are providing every assistance we can by way of funds, relief work and more – for that is our human duty – we will also place a special emphasis on prayer for the suffering to end and for peace to prevail.

Mohammad Salim, President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Leamington.