Muslims from around the world pledge their allegiance to the caliph, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s international annual convention in East Worldham, England. AMA Gallery
Source: International Business Times
By Ismat Sarah Mangla @ismat i.mangla@ibtimes.com on August 27 2015
EAST WORLDHAM, England — Last Sunday, on a 210-acre farm in this lush hamlet some 65 miles southwest of London, more than 35,000 Muslims from 96 countries gathered to pledge their allegiance to a 107-year-old worldwide caliphate. Millions from around the globe joined the ceremony live via satellite television. Their vow? To uphold the oneness of God, bear witness in the Prophet Muhammad, and obey their caliph “in everything good.”
The caliph in question was Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a Muslim group that exists in more than 200 countries and claims to represent Islam’s true peaceful teachings. The pledge ceremony was part of the community’s international Jalsa Salana, or annual convention, Britain’s largest Muslim conference. At a time when the radicalization of Muslims is a flashpoint issue in Britain, the convention and its message of peace stands in sharp contrast to fiery British Muslim clerics like Anjem Choudary, who has been charged with “inviting support” for extremist groups such as the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose motto is “Love for all, hatred for none,” stems from the Sunni branch of Islam but diverges from it in several major areas. It was founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India. Ahmad claimed to be a subservient prophet of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, sent by God to revive the religion and serve as the messiah of the modern age.
“Our message is more than 125 years old; nothing has changed,” said Basharat Nazir, a spokesman for the community in Britain. “We want to remove misconceptions that have crept up about Islam — most notably the interpretation of jihad.”
Jalsa Salana (Annual Convention): A Sign of the Truth of the Messiah