The motto of this leadership is love for all and hatred for none

Source: The Independent

Soon I’ll be joining 30,000 other Muslims in London to embrace real Islamic values

By Waqar Ahmedi

I’ve made up my mind. I’ll soon be packing my bags and leaving Birmingham to pledge allegiance to the Caliphate. Thousands more, mostly from Europe, will be doing the same.

As you react with horror, contemplate alerting the police and (worse) consider blocking me on social media, rest assured: I’m not referring to the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Rather, I’m talking about a Caliph you may never have heard of – and who certainly doesn’t get near as much publicity – but is the head of a global spiritual community, described as a champion of human rights and who stands firmly against terrorism. He lives in London too.

This Caliph will be the centre of attention at the UK’s largest international gathering of Muslims. Thirty thousand people from 90 countries and 100 cities across the land will be there, with millions more tuning in via satellite TV screens and internet streams.

Like me, they will be affirming their loyalty to him and vow to live by a simple maxim: Love for all, hatred for none. This is sure to raise some eyebrows, and probably startle those who equate caliphate with something closer to a barbaric totalitarian theocracy. And you’d be forgiven for thinking so.

A Caliphate is a system of successorship as old as humankind. But in Islamic theology, it refers mainly to the “rightly-guided” leaders (caliphs) appointed after the Prophet’s death for the protection and progress of the Muslim community. That caliphate came to an end following the assassination of Ali, the fourth successor of Muhammad.

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