One of Britain’s oldest established and peaceful Muslim communities is launching a national doorstep and publicity campaign to reassert true Islamic principles of peace and to counter the extremists who hijack the faith for political ends.
The Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has expressed support for the campaign and Minister Shahid Malik MP, commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim community for “promoting an understanding and exploration of Islam within wider British society.”
The campaign was launched with a message of loyalty, freedom and peace on 100 buses in Central London on Monday and Ahmadi Muslims will be personally calling on nearly three million households and presenting people with a leaflet that highlights Islam’s commitment to fundamental values of:
Loyalty, freedom, equality, respect and peace
The Community hopes that the nationwide grassroots campaign, supported by a new website
LoveForAllHatredForNone.org, will change the perception of Islam by clarifying its true teachings and emphasising the need for these to be put in practice by all Muslims.
This drive to promote peace has been repeatedly emphasised by the worldwide leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad,who has said:
“A true Muslim can never raise his voice in hatred against his fellow citizens, nor for that
matter against the ruling authority or government of the time... he should remain loyal and fully abide by the laws of the land of which he is a subject.”
Mr Rafiq Hayat, the National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK said:
“The true peaceful Islam is poles apart from the hatred that is preached by a minority. Such extremists do not represent Islam yet, through the media, their words and deeds have a damaging impact on Muslims and non‐Muslims every day.
“By emphasising the values highlighted in this campaign we hope to facilitate a better
understanding of Islam so that people are able judge for themselves the actions of those
who claim to speak and act in its good name. Islam stresses the promotion of peace in words and deeds.”
