Huff post: A few weekends ago, one of the largest gatherings of Muslims took place in the UK. The National Peace Symposium was held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque, the largest mosque in Western Europe. It is a mosque that I have regularly attended and whilst I am not from the Ahmadiyya community, one cannot be overawed by the sheer determination, honesty, integrity and strong volunteering ethic that is the foundation of the Ahmadiyya community in the UK.
The National Peace Symposium is an annual event where people of faith and those who have an interest in faith come together with politicians, social activists and many others. The Symposium is run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, a community that has suffered much overt persecution in countries like Pakistan and one which suffers bigoted prejudice by others in Europe. It therefore suffers intra-Muslim intolerance and anti-Muslim bigotry by non-Muslim communities.
United at the hands of Khalifa
Yet, the Ahmaddiya Muslim community has overcome such challenges with graciousness and a humility that can only be regarded as being pleasantly overwhelming. They have organised wide scale community campaigns for all and have provided volunteers to give blood, whilst raising money for local appeals including Poppy appeals. The community has also been at the forefront of raising funds for local projects which help all communities and not just Muslim communities.
Inherent in the DNA of Ahmadiyya community members is the desire to play a constructive role in local communities and integrate and fit in by being productive members of society. Much of this has been instilled in them because of their history of being a minority within a minority which has shaped their activism and which has also meant that they have made themselves indispensable in areas.