On 14 March 2015, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered the keynote address at the 12th National Peace Symposium hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK. Muslim Leader says Justice and Honesty required to prevent Outbreak of third World War Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad warns of potential global impact of youth radicalisation The recipient of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace, Mrs Sindhutai Sapkal, spoke of how she overcame childhood poverty in India and that such experiences had motivated her future humanitarian efforts.

1. Muslim Leader says Justice and Honesty required
to prevent Outbreak of third World War
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad warns of
potential global impact of youth radicalisation

2. On 14 March 2015, the World Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the
Fifth Khalifa, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmad delivered the keynote
address at the 12th National Peace
Symposium hosted by the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community UK.

3. During his address, His Holiness spoke of the
increased threat of radicalisation and warned of
the potential danger it posed to the world. His
Holiness spoke of the mounting conflict in both
the Muslim and non-Muslim world and said
that rather than religion, the root cause of
today’s conflicts was an “unquenchable
thirst for power, influence and
resources”.

4. His Holiness categorically condemned terrorist groups such as ISIS, Boko
Haram and Al-Shabaab as acting completely against the teachings of Islam and
quoted verses of the Holy Quran that refuted all forms of extremism.

5. The event was held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in
London with an audience of more than 1000 people,
including more than 600 non-Ahmadi guests
comprising Government Ministers, Ambassadors of
State, Members of both Houses of Parliament and
various other dignitaries and guests. A special guest
this year was Professor Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or
Belief. The theme of this year’s Peace Symposium
was “Religion, Freedom and Peace”.

6. During the event, His Holiness also presented
Mrs Sindhutai Sapkal, renowned as a ‘mother of
orphans’ with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for
the Advancement of Peace in recognition of her
outstanding efforts to personally alleviate the
suffering of more than 1400 orphaned children
and providing them with food, shelter and
education.

7. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad began his keynote address by
observing that since the last Peace Symposium, held in
November 2014, there had been an international effort to
target the funding of terrorism, which gave rise to “a note
of cautious optimism”.

8. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“One point I made at the last Peace
Symposium was that the world should
urgently target and seek to block the funding
and supply line of the terrorist group known
as ISIS or I.S. I do not claim that it is because
of me, or the fact that I drew attention to this
matter, but certainly over the past few months
there have been tangible efforts to tackle this
crucial issue.”

9. His Holiness cited a February 2015 UN-Security Council
Resolution targeting the funding of terrorist groups and said that if
properly implemented it could soon lead to the downfall of ISIS.

10. During his address, Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmad categorically
condemned all forms of terrorism and
extremism and deemed the January
2015 terrorist attacks in Paris as
“horrifying and completely
against the teachings of Islam”.

11. Praising recent comments of certain world
leaders, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“In terms of the reaction of world
leaders to terrorism it has been
pleasing to see that certain politicians
and religious figures have chosen not to
add fuel to the fire but have instead
made it clear that they do not believe
that any terrorist group represents the
true teachings of Islam.”

12. His Holiness specifically praised comments
made by President Obama at
the National Prayer Breakfast in
Washington regarding terrorism and
comments made by Pope Francis after the
Paris attacks in which he said that people
should not provoke others by insulting their
faith or beliefs.

13. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the widespread and
increasing conflict prevalent in the world. He cited not only the
disorder in certain Muslim countries but also reflected on the
increasing division in other parts of the world.

14. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“The world is being consumed by various issues that are
leading to frustration and resentment, which in turn are
undermining peace. For example, the effects of the
financial crisis continue to be felt in much of the world. In
Europe, discontent is increasing and the integrity of the
European Union is being challenged and undermined.
Anti-immigrant or nationalist parties are gaining
popularity in many countries. Then there is the conflict in
Ukraine and the global arms race. These are all threats to
world peace that are not linked to Islam, but rather have
developed as a result of an unquenchable thirst for power,
influence and resources. “

16. Addressing the means for peace, Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad said:
“We should realise and recognise the
critical need of the hour. We must accept
that peace can only be built upon the solid
foundations of honesty, integrity and
justice. These are the keys to peace. Until
there is honesty and justice no solution
will ever prove beneficial. “

17. His Holiness spoke about the objectives of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and its
commitment to spreading the true and peaceful
teachings of Islam across the world.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“We the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
have no power or worldly influence. Our
objectives are purely spiritual and so we do
not seek power or government. We have no
political ambitions or objectives.”

18. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
“As a religious community we desire only
that the world comes to recognise its
Creator and that people fulfil the rights
of one another. To fulfil these twin
objectives we make every possible effort
in all parts of the world. We seek to
inform others that Islam’s teachings
have no link with the violence and
disorder witnessed in the world.”

19. The Khalifa went on to give a detailed analysis
of Quranic teachings in relation to peace and
religious freedom, stating that wherever Muslims
were given permission for a ‘defensive war’ it was
given as a means to protect all religions and not just
Islam.
Reflecting on recent reports that terrorists had
destroyed historical monuments and artefacts in
ancient Iraqi cities, His Holiness said that such
attacks were a clear violation of Quranic teachings.

20. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“For more than 1400 years these cities
were preserved and protected by
successive Muslim rulers and
governments and yet now the extremists
claim to have destroyed them in Islam’s
name. This can only be branded as an
extreme cruelty and a transgression of
Islam’s teachings. No true Muslim could
ever comprehend acting in this way.”

21. His Holiness concluded by urging all
parties and individuals to play their
roles in promoting peace in the world.
He said that a Third World War could
still be averted if principles of justice
and honesty came to the fore at all
levels of society.

22. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
“Whilst some are saying that another World
War is now unavoidable, I believe that even
now there is time for the world to wake up to
the stark reality it faces and to arrest this
threat. To do so, all people and their leaders
will need to stop looking only in one
direction and caring only for their own
interests. Instead, they must seek to fulfil the
requirements of justice, fairness and honesty
at all levels of society.”

23. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad ended
his address by praying:
“I hope and pray that may Allah
enable all of us to understand
and recognise the gravity of our
responsibilities and to fulfil our
duties.”

24. Prior to the keynote address, various dignitaries spoke
about the importance of peace and the critical state of
today’s world.
Mr.Rafiq Hayat, the National President of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK said that terrorists
and extremists were “the polar opposite of what
religion stands for”.

25. Siobhain McDonagh, MP and Chair of
the ‘All Party Parliamentary Group for the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’ said:
“We must all be vigilant in our efforts to
protect the right of all people to enjoy
true religious freedom.”

27. Lord Eric Avebury, Vice-Chair,
Parliamentary Human Rights Group, said:
“It is a privilege to attend the Peace
Symposium where we have all
joined together under the wise
leadership of His Holiness, Hazrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmad to speak
against the forces of hatred and
aggression.”

28. Dr Charles Tannock, MEP, ‘Chair of the EU
Friends of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Parliamentary Group’ said:
“It is extremely evident how prosperous,
charitable and courageous the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is in the
face of the adversity it faces in certain
countries.”

29. Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for
Communities said:
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the voice of peace, the
voice of humanity, the voice of integration – it is the voice of true
Islam.”
Lord Ahmad also read out a message of support sent
by Prime Minister, David Cameron praising
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s
commitment to spreading a message of peace
and tolerance.

30. Rt Hon Justine Greening, MP, Secretary of State
for International Development said:
“His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad is a tireless advocate for peace in
a conflict-ridden world… The way the
Ahmadi Muslims reach out to the wider
community is exemplary and so I place
great value on my relationship with the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.”

31. Professor Heiner Bielefeldt, UN Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Religion or Belief said:
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has
always made a positive contribution towards
promoting religious freedom. Thus in 1948,
Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, an Ahmadi
Muslim and the first Foreign Minister of
Pakistan, took to the podium at the United
Nations General-Assembly to fully endorse the
principle of religious freedom and the right to
change one’s belief.”

32. The recipient of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Prize for the Advancement of
Peace, Mrs Sindhutai Sapkal, spoke
of how she overcame childhood poverty
in India and that such experiences had
motivated her future humanitarian
efforts.

33. Mrs Sindhutai Sapkal
said:
“The difficulties I
faced when I was
young have enabled
me to do something
good with my life and
so I hope to be
remembered as a
person who helped
those who were in
need.”

34. Both before and after the proceedings, His Holiness met personally with various dignitaries and
guests and also met with members of the western and Asian media.

36. http://www.alislam.org/egazette/press-
release/muslim-leader-says-justice-and-
honesty-required-to-prevent-outbreak-of-
third-world-war/