Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad

Source: Motaher Chowdhury

HUZUR-E-ANWAR’S ADRESS DURING PEACE SYMPOSIUM 2018: FUNDAMENTALS OF ESTABILISHING LASTING PEACE

KEY POINTS

1. People may question benefit of Peace Symposium given world peace has deteriorated in past 15 years. But this is mission of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and we will never stop trying to bring society together in peace.

2. Lot of focus on global warming and climate change. Very noble cause to protect environment and planet. But Govts must realise other crucial issues need to be tackled with same if not greater urgency – foremost world peace and security.

3. People in Africa or deprived nations don’t worry about global warming, they wake up each day worried if can feed their children that day.

4. Children travel for miles to get water for daily use – hence deprived of education. Living in vicious cycle of poverty leading to lack of education. They become easy prey for terrorist and extremist recruiters. Much easier to influence illiterate people who are hopeless.

5. Thus for world peace key focus must be on alleviating poverty and destitution in developing world.

6. Further, due to widespread immigration to West and in reaction to terrorist attacks by Muslims, far-right and nationalism has increased in Western world. This is very dangerous and evokes memories of dark days of past. Far-right are also extremists who seek to radicalise and incite.

7. International arms trade extremely dangerous. Weapons from developed nations fuelling wars. Instead of arms race, should join race to save humanity.

8. Some people say keeping weapons is a form of deterrence. Try convincing thousands of orphans who watched parents brutally killed of this logic. Who can blame such orphans to then react and seek revenge for their loss and so they are prey for terrorist recruiters.

9. Only education such children getting is how to launch rocket launchers or do suicide attacks.

10. World needs to urgently change priorities – instead of seeing national profits and national interest – need to knock down walls that dividing society.

11. North Korea remains a dangerous issue – still not known if meeting with Pres Trump will go ahead and what conditions will be. When dealing with nations like Iran or North Korea, should listen to all parties and seek to build mutual trust. Force rarely leads to any benefit in long term.

12. Islam has from outset rejected all forms of extremism and terrorism. Chapter 22 verses 40-41 quoted.

13. Freedom of belief and freedom of conscience inherent parts of Islam.

14. Some non-Muslim scholars and writers also accept that Islam is against all forms of extremism.

15. Where any intervention takes place it should always be for sake of establishing peace and not for taking advantage of others resources or taking territory. Must always be just even with enemies. This is core Islamic teaching.

16. Greatest example of tolerance and forgiveness in history of mankind was Holy Prophet (sa) at time of Victory of Makkah. After years of sustained persecution forgave all those and his only condition was that each citizen worked for peace and respected one another.

17. I pray world understands its duties to spreading peace in world so that future generations thank us and speak of us with pride.

NEED TO FOCUS ON ALLEVIATING POVERTY AND INEQUALITY AND LINK WITH EXTREMISM

“Striving to protect the environment and to look after our planet is an extremely precious and noble cause. Yet at the same time, the developed world, and especially the world’s leaders, should also realise that there are other issues that must be tackled with the same urgency. People living in the world’s poorest nations do not concern themselves with the environment or the latest figures on carbon emissions. Rather, they wake up each day wondering if they will be able to feed their children.”

“We must realise that the result of such poverty has severe implications for the wider world and directly affects global peace and security. The fact that children have no option but to spend their days collecting water for their families means that they are unable to go to school or to attain any form of education. They are stuck in a vicious cycle of illiteracy and poverty that is seemingly endless and hugely damaging to society.”

“By helping the developing nations stand on their own feet and by giving their people opportunities and hope, we will actually be helping ourselves and safeguarding the future of the world.”

DANGEROUS RISE AND RE-EMERGENCE OF FAR RIGHT IN WEST

“As a result of recent terrorist attacks and widespread immigration to the West, there has also been a dangerous rise in nationalism in many Western countries evoking fears of the dark days of the past. It is particularly disturbing that far-right groups have become increasingly vocal and have seen their membership rise and have even made political gains. They too are extremists who seek to poison Western society by inciting the masses against those who have a different colour of skin or who hold different beliefs.”

SELFISH ATTITUDES OF LEADERS

“The rhetoric of certain powerful world leaders has become increasingly nationalistic and belligerent, as they have pledged to put the rights of their own citizens above all others.”

“Policies that are based upon selfishness, greed and a readiness to forfeit the rights of others are wrong and a means of sowing discord and division in the world.”

INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRADE

“In countries like Syria, Iraq and Yemen, government forces, rebels and terrorist organisations are fighting one another. Despite their divergent interests, they all have one thing in common – that the vast majority of their weapons have been produced externally in the developed world.”

“Quite openly and proudly, the major powers are trading arms that are being used to kill, maim and brutalise innocent people. Whilst the economies of the selling countries may attain short-term benefit, their hands are covered in the blood of hundreds of thousands of people.”

“One of the main arguments made by those in favour of the arms industry is that procuring weapons is a means of deterrence and keeping the peace… Certainly, the thousands of innocent children who have lost their parents or have lost their own limbs will never be convinced by such logic. Nor will the thousands of women who have been left widowed, or the millions of people who have been displaced from their homes.”

FOREIGN POLICY MISTAKES
“In many instances, it seems that the world has not learned from its past mistakes. It is widely accepted that the Iraq War of 2003 was unjust and based on false pretences, whilst Libya has descended into chaos and become a hotbed of extremism since Western powers took action there several years ago.”

“I mentioned that a major focus of the international community is climate change and a desire to keep the air that we breathe clean. Is there anyone who thinks that heavy bombardment has no effect on the atmosphere? Furthermore, if peace ever does prevail in the war-torn countries, their towns and cities will have to be rebuilt from scratch and this in itself will be a huge industry that will cause an increase in harmful emissions and pollution.”

NEED TO ALTER PRIORITIES

“Instead of embarking on an arms race leading to death and destruction, we must join the race to save and protect humanity. Instead of shutting down borders and ports in warring countries, causing for innocent children to be left starving and the sick being deprived of medical treatment, we must open our hearts to one another, knock down the walls that divide us, feed the hungry and help those who are suffering.”

“Islam teaches that peace can only be achieved when all traces of ill-will and malice are removed from a person’s heart and replaced by a spirit of mercy, love and compassion for others.”

ISLAM AND EXTREMISM

“Even though so-called Muslim terrorists claim to act in Islam’s name, I do not believe that we are witnessing a religious war. Rather, the wars being fought today are being fought for geopolitical reasons.”

“The so-called ‘Jihadi’ terrorists and extremist clerics serve only to tarnish the name of Islam and undermine the efforts of the vast majority of Muslims who are peaceful and law-abiding citizens.”

JUSTICE WITH ENEMIES

“Chapter 49, verse 10 of the Holy Quran states that the objective of any intervention should always be establishing long-lasting peace and instructs Muslims to be just even with their adversaries.”

“Where force is required to stop an aggressor from inflicting cruelty, the action must remain proportionate and never enter the realm of seeking revenge or plundering the wealth of the vanquished.”

ISLAM NOT TO BLAME FOR ALL WORLD PROBLEMS

“Now is the time that humanity distanced itself from the notion that only Islam is to blame for the problems in the world. Furthermore, it is also high time, that instead of prioritising the advance of their political parties or governments, our leaders prioritise the future peace and prosperity of humanity.”

EXAMPLE OF HOLY PROPHET (SA) AT VICTORY OF MAKKAH

“It is my firm conviction and belief that the single greatest example of forgiveness, benevolence and mercy in the history of mankind is the blessed example of the Founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).”