God in The 21st Century

VOL. 109 - ISSUE SIX JUNE 2014 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.
ORG
GOD
Te
CONFERENCE
of
WORLD
RELIGIONS
IN
THE
2 1
S T
C E N T U R Y
The Holy Prophet
Muhammad
sa
prophesied
that the Promised Messiah
as

would be raised near a
white minaret, east of
Damascus. This prophecy
was fulflled with the advent
of the Promised Messiah
as
from Qadian, India, a city
directly east of Damascus.
Te Promised Messiah
as
& imam mahdi
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
as
, the Promised Messiah
and Mahdi was born to a noble family in Qadian, India.
From an early age he had a keen interest in religion and
developed a love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad
sa
. He
was also known for his honesty, friendliness and resolve.
Over time his knowledge and understanding of religion
and its application to society deepened. Being a Muslim
it was his frm belief that all religions were true at their
source but with the passage of time had drifed away
from their original teachings; he upheld the dignity of
religion and demonstrated its relevance to everyone.
His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed
when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah
a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.
His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religions
held within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It
was through this that he would bring mankind together
and establish everlasting peace.
In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hazrat Ahmad
as

founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community a
community that has since grown in its stature and
strength and has remained active in conveying the
message of Islam to the ends of the earth.
Hazrat Ahmad
as
had established himself as a respected
writer and had written over 80 books. His writings
have been translated into more than 60 languages and
continue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatest
scholarly works was Te Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conference
of Great Religions in 1896.
He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus
in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence
of Jesuss
as
journey to India. In 1902, the Promised
Messiah
as
initiated Te Review of Religions which has
covered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophy
and contemporary issues of the day. It is the longest
running English magazine in defence of Islam and the
values it teaches.
From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tens
of thousands of people accepted him. This blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khulafa
(successors).
Currently under the ffh successor, we are seeing that the
tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message of
Prophet Ahmad
as
has really reached the ends of the earth.

m
a
k
h
z
a
n
-
e
-
t
a
s
a
w
e
e
r
800
Te approximate number of years
since the Guildhall, London was
established. Te famous venue hosted
the Conference of World Religions.
Source:
http://www.guildhall.cityoflondon.gov.uk
600 miles
that a group of 25 young Ahmadi Muslim
cyclists embarked on, named Ride4Peace,
from Glasgow to London. Along the
way they stopped at 13 UK mosques, a
Commonwealth Memorial graveyard and
a WWI memorial site to pay their respects
to the fallen. Tey have raised over 100k
for 2 London based charities, the British
Heart Foundation and Humanity First.
Source: http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/
story/2014-06-06/cyclists-ride-for-peace/

WORDS & NUMBERS
founder of
the review of religions
A religion which
does not inculcate
universal compassion
is no religion at all.
Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,
the Promised Messiah
as
,
the founder of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim
Jamaat wrote in A Message of Peace,
his last written work in 1908.
I hope and pray that we, who are
representatives of diferent faiths
and religions, and who are gathered
here today to practically demonstrate
these loving teachings, all strive
towards worshipping the One God,
by treating His Creation with and
by fulflling their due rights.
Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the
world-wide head of the Ahmadiyyah
Muslim Jamaat at the Conference of World
Religions at the Guildhall in London this
past February.
Eye cannot see him, nor words
reveal him;
by the senses, austerity, or works
he is not known.
When the mind is cleansed by the
grace of wisdom,
he is seen by contemplation-
-the One without parts.
HINDUISM, MUNDAKA
UPANISHAD, 3.1.8.
Tere is, monks, a condition
where there is neither the element
of extension, the element of
cohesion, the element of heat, nor
the element of motion, nor the
sphere of the infnity of space,
nor the sphere of the infnity of
consciousness, nor the sphere
of nothingness, nor the sphere
of neither-perception-nor-non-
perception; neither this world, nor
a world beyond, nor sun and moon.
Tere, monks, I say, there is neither
coming nor going nor staying nor
passing away nor arising. Without
support or mobility or basis is it.
Tis is indeed the end of sufering.
Tat which is Selfess, hard it is to
see; Not easy is it to perceive the
Truth. But who has ended craving
utterly Has naught to cling to, he
alone can see.
Tere is, monks, an unborn, a
not-become, a not-made, a not-
compounded. If, monks, there
were not this unborn, not-become,
not-made, not-compounded,
there would not here be an escape
from the born, the become, the
made, the compounded. But
because there is an unborn, a
not-become, a not-made, a not-
compounded, therefore there is an
escape from the born, the become,
the made, the compounded.
BUDDHISM, UDANA 80,
PATALIGAMA.
No one has ever seen God;
the only Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, he
has made him known.
CHRISTIANITY, THE BIBLE,
JOHN 1:18.
When Abraham saw the sun
issuing in the morning from the
east, he was frst moved to think
that that was God, and said, Tis
is the King that created me, and
worshipped it the whole day. In
the evening when the sun went
down and the moon commenced
to shine, he said, Verily this rules
over the orb which I worshipped
the whole day, since the latter is
darkened before it and does not
shine any more. So he served
the moon all that night. In
the morning when he saw the
darkness depart and the east
grow light, he said, Of a surety
there is a King who rules over
all these orbs and orders them.
JUDAISM, ZOHAR, GENESIS,
86A.

Hast thou not seen that it is Allah
Whose praises all who are in the
heavens and the earth celebrate,
and so do the birds with their
wings outspread? Each one knows
his own mode of prayer and praise.
And Allah knows well what
they do.
And to Allah belongs the
kingdom of the heavens and the
earth, and to Allah shall be
the return.
Hast thou not seen that Allah
drives the clouds, then joins them
together, then piles them up so
that thou seest rain issue forth
from the midst thereof ? And He
sends down from the sky clouds
like mountains wherein is hail and
he smites therewith whom He
pleases, and turns it away from
who He pleases. Te fash of its
lighting may well-nigh take away
the sight.
Allah alternates the night and the
day. Terein surely is a lesson for
those who have eyes.
And Allah has created every
animal from water. Of them are
some that go upon their bellies,
and of them are some that go
upon two feet, and among them
are some that go upon four. Allah
creates what He pleases. Surely,
Allah has the power to do all that
He pleases.
We have indeed sent down
manifest Signs. And Allah guides
whom He pleases to the right path.
ISLAM, THE HOLY
QURAN, CH.24:V.42-47
Allah says, I am as my servant
expects Me to be, and I am with
him when he remembers me. If
he thinks of Me, I think of him.
If he mentions Me in company, I
mention him in an even better
company. When he comes closer
to Me by a handspan, I come
closer to him an arms length. If
he draws closer to Me by an arms
length, I draw closer by adistance
of two outstretched arms nearer to
him. If my servant comes to Me
walking, I go to him running.
ISLAM, THE HOLY
PROPHET
SA
, HADITH
OF BUKHARI.
For the recognition of God, it is
an important and fundamental
principle that the Powers and
Wisdom of God the Glorious are
unlimited. By understanding this
principle and refecting deeply
upon it everything becomes
clear and one is able to see the
straight path of the recognition of
Truth and the worship of Truth.
ISLAM, THE PROMISED
MESSIAH
AS
, THE ESSENCE
OF ISLAM, VOL.1, P.101.
He who looks inwardly at the self
revels in the self;
He who revels in the self
looks inwardly at the self.
JAINISM, ACARANGASTURA,
2.173.
Te Book of Songs says,
Te hawk soars to the heavens
above;
Fishes dive to the depths below.
Tat is to say, there is no place in
the highest heavens above nor in
the deepest waters below where
the moral law is not to be found.
CONFUCIANISM, DOCTRINE
OF THE MEAN, 12.
Traces of Gods Existence
WORLD FAITHS
14 Religious Leaders Convene
to Discuss God in the
21st Century
MISHALL REHMAN, TRENTON, CANADA
18 Religious Teachings
A Vehicle For Peace
MELIHA RAFIQ HAYAT, LONDON, UK
24 Unity of Religions
A vision to host interfaith conferences.
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
AS

THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND IMAM MAHDI
28 God in the 21st Century
Religious Leaders
31 Judaism
RABBI PROFESSOR DANIEL SPERBER
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHIEF RABBI OF ISRAEL
RABBI JACKIE TABIK
CONVENOR OF THE REFORM MOVEMENT BEIT DIN, CO-
PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD CONGRESS OF FAITHS
36 Hinduism
UMESH CHANDER SHARMA
CHAIRMAN OF HINDU COUNCIL UK
38 Buddhism
GESHE TASHI TSERING
REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS HOLINESS, THE DALAI LAMA
40 Druze
SHEIKH MOAFAQ TARIF
SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE DRUZE COMMUNITY
OF ISRAEL
44 Christianity
ARCHBISHOP KEVIN MCDONALD
CATHOLIC CHURCH UK
48 Islam
48 Introduction to Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmad
aba
Keynote Address Islam
HAZRAT MIRZA MASROOR AHMAD
ABA
HEAD OF THE WORLDWIDE AHMADIYYA
MUSLIM COMMUNITY
68 Message from Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II
Dignitaries and Leading
World Activists
RT HON DOMINIC GRIEVE QC MP
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
HE PROF. KWAKU DANSO-BOAFO
GHANAIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO UK
28
52
CONTENTS
JUNE 2014 VOL.109 ISSUE SIX
DR. KATRINA LANTOS SWETT
VICE CHAIR OF THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
BARONESS BERRIDGE
CHAIR OF THE UK ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP
FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
RT HON BARONESS WARSI
SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN AND
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AND THE DEPARTMENT FOR
COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
70
MANAGEMENT B OARD
Chairman: Munir-Ud-Din Shams
Secretary: Syed Amer Safr
Board Members: Mubarak Ahmad Zafar, Ataul Mujeeb
Rashed, Naseer Qamar, Abdul Baqi Arshad, Abid
Waheed Ahmad Khan, Aziz Ahmad Bilal
CHI EF EDI TOR & MANAGER
Syed Amer Safr
EDI TORI AL B OARD
Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, Bockarie Tommy Kallon, Fazal Ahmad,
Hassan Wahab, Hibba Turrauf, Jonathan Butterworth, Mansoor
Saqi, Munazza Khan, Murtaza Ahmad, Nakasha Ahmad, Navida
Syed, Sarah Waseem, Shahzad Ahmad, Tariq H. Malik
WEB DEV EL OP ER & I T
Hibba Turrauf, Mubashra Ahmad
AS S OCI AT E EDI TORS
Nakasha Ahmad, Tariq H. Malik (Sub-Editor: MariamRahman)
S UB - EDI TORS
Head: Hibba Turrauf
Sub-Editors: Ayesha Malik, Nusrat Haq, MaryamMalik,
HOUS E S T Y LE GUI DE
Head: Maleeha Ahmad Team: Sadia Shah, Humaira Omer
P ROOF RE ADERS
Head: Munawara Ghauri. Deputy: Farhana Dar. Proofreaders: Abdul
Ghany Jahangeer Khan, Hina Rahman, Amina Abbasi, Ayesha Patel
S TAF F WRI T ERS & RES E ARCHERS
Arif Khan, Tazeen Ahmad, Harris Zafar, Meliha Hayat
DI S T RI B U T I ON/ S UB S CRI P T I ON
Head: Mohammad Hanif
Team: Sami Ullah, Musa Sattar
ART EDI TOR
S. Taalay Ahmad
P RI NT EDI T I ON DES I GNER
Ahsan Khan
I NDEX I NG/ TAGGI NG T E AM
Head: Mirza Krishan Ahmad. Deputy: Amtus Shakoor Tayyaba
Ahmed. Team: Humaira Omer, Humda Sohail, S. Taalay Ahmad,
Ruhana Hamood, Mubahil Shakir, Adila Bari, Hassan Raza Ahmad
T WI T T ER
Hibba Turrauf, Mala Khan, Nudrat Ahmad
Te English Rendering of the
5 Volume Commentary of the
Holy Quran
One of the most insightful commentaries of the
Holy Quran ever written.
Commentary by
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad
(ra)
Read it online at: http://www.alislam.org/quran/
Or Purchase the print version at: http://store.alislam.org/
A
M
A
G
A
L
L
E
R
Y
U
K
NOTE ABOUT REFERENCES
Verse references to the Holy Quran
count Bismillah (In the Name
of Allah) as the frst verse of each
Chapter. In some non-standard texts,
this is not counted. Should the reader
refer to such texts, the verse quoted in
Te Review of Religions will be found a
verse earlier, i.e. at one verse less than
the number quoted in this journal.
For the ease of non-Muslim readers,
sa

or
(saw)
afer the words, Holy Prophet,
or the name Muhammad, are used
normally in small letters. Tey stand
for Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam meaning
peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him. Likewise, the letters
as
or
(as)

afer the name of all other prophets
is an abbreviation meaning peace
be upon him derived from Alaihis
salatu wassalam which are words
that a Muslim utters out of respect
whenever he or she comes across
that name. Te abbreviation
ra
or
(ra)
stands for Raziallahu Taala anhu and

is used for Companions of a Prophet,
meaning Allah be pleased with him
or her (when followed by the relevant
Arabic pronoun). Finally,
rh
or
(rh)
for
Rahemahullahu Taala means the Mercy
of Allah the Exalted be upon him.
In keeping with current universal
practice, local transliterations
of names of places are preferred
to their anglicised versions, e.g.
Makkah instead of Mecca, etc.
Ramadhan ends
after 30 days,
but for some,
the hunger persists
And in their
wealth was a
share for one
who asked for
help and for one
who could not.
Holy Quran,
Ch.51: Vs.20
Help us alleviate poverty for the poorest in Africa and Asia by
providing food, access to safe drinking water and sanitation,
education and training.
Please donate and help us raise over 40,000
in this blessed month.
Donate online:
www.justgiving.com/HFPovertyAlleviation
Donate by text:
text HFRD14 AMOUNT to 70070
maximum donation 10
Follow us:
@HumanityFirstUK
Guildhall, London
Venue for the World
Conference of Religions
Guildhall has been the City
powerhouse since the twelfth century.
Built between 1411 and 1440, it was
designed to refect the importance of
Londons ruling elite. In an era when
the Lord Mayor of London rivalled
the monarch for infuence and prestige,
this was where he and the ruling
merchant class held court, fne-tuned
the laws and trading regulations that
helped create Londons wealth. Te
imposing medieval Great Hall is the
largest and most impressive room,
and is where royalty and state visitors
have been entertained down the
centuries since it was originally built
Today, 800 years on, Guildhalls
splendour is still awe-inspiring, and
within the walls of this national
treasure lie six spectacular rooms and
acts as a grand setting for glittering
banquets in honour of visiting
Heads of State and other dignitaries,
royal occasions, and receptions for
major historical anniversaries.
Situated in the heart of the City
of London, the worlds leading
fnancial and business centre, this
rare and magnifcent medieval
Grade I listed landmark is truly one
of Londons iconic landmarks.
Source: http://www.guildhall.
cityofondon.gov.uk/
Guildhall Queen Victoria ILN 1863.
This 1863 gathering at Guildhall
was attended by Queen Victoria.
The roof shown here has been replaced.
Source: The Illustrated London News
JeremyRichards | shutterstock.com
12 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2014 JUNE 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 13
W
ith the rise in religious confict
around the world, from the cit-
ies and towns of Syria, to the streets of
Ukraine and the continued escalation
of acts of terrorism, all in the name of
religion, many skeptics wonder whether
God has a place in the 21
st
century.
People of faith, however, have no such
doubts. Tey believe that God is the only
solution to the issues that plague the
world today. Backing their convictions,
religious leaders, from a broad spectrum
of faith groups, all agreed that belief in
God is a crucial step in bringing about
peace in society at the Conference of
World Religions, held earlier this year
in London.

Te urgent and critical need of the world
today is to establish peace and faith in God.
If the world understood this reality then all
countries, whether large or small, would not,
in the name of defence-spending, allocate
millions and billions of dollars to expand
their military capabilities. Rather, they
would spend that wealth to feed the hun-
gry, to provide universal education and to
improve the living standards of the develop-
ing world, said Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad
aba
, the worldwide head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and
keynote speaker at the event.
He went on to say that God is still liv-
ing and the world is in desperate need
to turn to God. His speech unifed the
sentiments of speakers representing other
faiths at the conference, organised by the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the
UK as part of its centenary celebrations.
Te conference was attended by 500 del-
egates from all walks of life and of diverse
faiths.
But religious leaders face other chal-
lenges as they work to communicate their
message that belief in God is essential for
peace and progress. For a growing num-
ber of people in the world today, the role
of God has become insignifcant in their
lives according to Dr. Gary Laderman,
professor of religious studies at Emory
University.
What I fnd most interesting is that I think
there is a diminish of interest for many peo-
ple about the question of what role God has.
We just saw recently that globally the fastest
growing segment of the religious world is
those who claim no religion. For a growing
number of people it is a secondary question,
they are not focused on it, Laderman said.
A 2010 Pew Survey revealed that the
number of people who classify them-
selves unaffiliated with any religion
Religious Leaders
Convene To Debate Te
Role Of God In Te
21st Century
BY MISHALL REHMAN, TRENTON, CANADA
London - venue for the
historic conference.
Songquan Deng | shutterstock.com
JUNE 2014 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 15
Today, our inter-dependent world requires
us to accept the oneness of humanity. Many
of our worlds problems and conficts arise
because we have lost sight of the basic
humanity that binds us together as a human
family. We forget that despite the superf-
cial diferences within us, people are same
in their basic wish for peace and happiness.
Confict in the name of religion occurs when
people fail to grasp the true intent of their
respective faith, the Dalai Lama said in
a message read by Geshi Tashir Tsering.
Other leaders present at the confer-
ence included Sheikh Moafaq Tarif,
the Spiritual Leader of the Druze
Community in Israel and Umesh
Chander Sharma, Chairman of the
Hindu Council in the UK.
Te pure objective of all religions here is
reformation, creation of peace, love and
understanding, and all the ways and meth-
ods in implementing it. Unfortunately, we
observe that some people attempt to misin-
terpret and misquote anything related to
religion which transforms a merciful reli-
gion into a merciless religion of intolerance,
said Tarif.
Sharma drew from the Hindu scrip-
ture, Bhagavad Gita, to establish the
importance of humanity returning back
to religion in the modern day. Sharma
stressed that returning back to faith
means accepting it in entirety.
So, I think this is the time when we have
to come back to our faiths and when I say
faith, faith is to believe 100 percent, we
cannot choose part of what our Messiah said,
what our books are saying, we have to follow
them 100 percent, said Sharma.
Te conference concluded with a silent
prayer that all delegates performed in
their own way, providing an example of
religions coexisting in harmony.
is on the rise. It has become the third
largest religious group across the world.
Understanding why people are moving
away from religion is a question that even
academics are trying to solve according
to Laderman. Rabbi Professor Daniel
Sperber, a speaker at the conference
and representing the oldest Abrahamic
faith, Judaism, stressed the importance
of returning back to faith.
We live in a world riven with political
and religious strife and turmoil. Te name
of God and His messages are trampled
underfoot in the name of rationalism and
political convenience. Let us return to sim-
ple unsophisticated faith in the sanctity of
God, man and His nature, and seek cures for
the ills that plague our society: help, mutual
respect and the legitimacy of pluralistic faith,
thus ushering in a new vision of peace and
harmony among all peoples, said Sperber.
In a report published earlier this year,
the Pew Research Centre found that
religious confict was at an all-time high
in 2012. Laderman believes that religions
can try to fnd a way to coexist.Tats our
only hope that they [religions] do and
they have in the past, in diferent places
at diferent times. It is certainly proven
that religions can coexist, said Laderman.
Many speakers at the conference high-
lighted the need for the world to unite
under the banner of humanity including
Archbishop Kevin McDonald, represent-
ing the Catholic Church. McDonald not
only mentioned the need for people to
return to faith, but also the need for peo-
ple to live in harmony.
We must be in solidarity, not in confict,
and the terrible events we watch unfold-
ing in Syria and elsewhere should act as a
stimulus for taking this forward. To me, one
of the most shocking and discouraging things
in our world today is to see people of religion
at odds with one another, said McDonald.
Geshi Tashir Tsering, a representative of
the Buddhist faith, shared with the audi-
ence a similar message from the Dalai
Lama, the spiritual head of Buddhists
around the world.
Many speakers at the
conference highlighted
the need for the world
to unite under the
banner of humanity...
RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONVENE TO
DEBATE THE ROLE OF GOD
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Your feedback is
important to us
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@reviewofreligions.org
I hope and pray that we, who are repre-
sentatives of diferent faiths and religions,
and who are gathered here today to practi-
cally demonstrate these loving teachings, all
strive towards worshipping the One God,
by treating His Creation with and by ful-
flling their due rights. Certainly these are
the original teachings of all religions, said
His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad
aba
, the Worldwide Head of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, dur-
ing his keynote address at the conference.
He also said there is a critical need to
establish peace and faith in God in the
world today. He asked world leaders to
place greater focus on feeding the hun-
gry, providing universal education and
improving the living standards of peo-
ple in the developing world.
I found His Holinesss remarks to be very
illuminating and I learned a great deal. One
senses his profound understanding of the
history and meaning of Islam. One wishes
that more people could have the opportunity
to understand the peaceful and tolerant way
that your community practices its faith, said
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Vice Chair
of the United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom.
A splendid evening, informative and
enjoyable, demonstrating the possibilities
of faiths coming together for the good of
the community and to the glory of God
- A privilege to have attended, said Rt
Rev Peter Brignall, Bishop of Wrexham
Catholic Church.
Te conference marks just one of the many
events that have been spearheaded by
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
aba
that aims
to spread a message of peace throughout
the world. He has taken his message to
Capitol Hill in Washington, the European
Parliament in Brussels and the Houses of
Parliament in London to name a few.
Religious Teachings
A Vehicle For Peace
BY MELIHA RAFIQ HAYAT, UK
U
nited on a common platform to promote peace in todays
world faith leaders, politicians, diplomats and others came
together at the Conference of World Religions in London
earlier this year and explored the role religion can play in the process.
MAKHZAN-E-TASAWEER
London Guidhall, venue for the
Conference of World Religions
hosted by the Ahmadiyya Community
continue to be one of its hallmarks. In
1924 The Wembley Conference of
Living Religions was held in London.
According to a published account of the
conference, the event was set out to bring
together in conference, for the frst time
in history, the leading representatives of
the great historic religions of the world.
Te event was held over 10 days and had
30 speakers from various faith groups
across the world. Te conference was
chaired by Sir E Dennison Ross, the frst
director of the School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS) in London.
[1]
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmad
ra
the Second Khalifah (Successor)
of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
as
was invited to speak at this event. His
speech was received with much praise
and was later published under the title
Ahmadiyyat or the True Islam.
Focus on social justice and peace in soci-
ety dates back to all the Abrahamic faiths.
Te Holy Prophet Muhammad
sa
brought
about major social change. His life has
been documented as a constant struggle
against greed, injustice and arrogance.
Upon his return to Makkah following
seven years of exile, he forgave all those
who had fought against the Muslims and
committed atrocities against him.
If the object of religion be the inculcation of
morals, the diminution of evil, the promo-
tion of human happiness, the expansion of
the human intellect, if the performance of
good works will avail in the great day when
mankind shall be summoned to its f inal
reckoning it is neither irreverent nor unrea-
sonable to admit that Muhammad was
indeed an Apostle of God, Samuel Parsons
wrote in 1904 in his book History of the
Moorish Empire in Europe.
In the book of Exodus, Gods libera-
tion of the Israelites has proven to be a
great motivational tale for those striv-
ing for political freedoms. Prophet
Moses
as
taught his followers to strive for
peace and be just in their decisions. In
Deuteronomy 1:17 the Prophet Moses
as

said: Show no partiality in your deci-
sions; judge everyone on the same basis,
no matter who they are.
Speaking from an Islamic perspective, we
should strive for the entire world to unite
together. In terms of currency the world
should be united. In terms of business and
trade the world should be united. And in
terms of freedom of movement and immi-
gration, cohesive and practical policies
should be developed, so that the world can
be united, he said during his address at
the European Parliament in 2012.
In 2003 the community initiated their
Annual Peace Symposium in the UK. Te
event was intended to generate greater
understanding and tolerance and respect
for all faiths. During the symposium in
2009, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
aba

established the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize
for the Advancement of Peace.
Te frst prize was awarded to Lord Eric
Avebury, an international human rights
advocate. Love for All Hatred for None,
if thats the message that we can spread
across the globe then we will cure all
these conficts, Avebury said on accept-
ing his prize.
Tis is not the frst time the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community has been involved
in such conferences. Te call to peace
was the message of the founder of the
Ahmadiyya community, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad
as
. In 1891 he claimed
to be the Promised Messiah and
Reformer, whose advent was foretold
by the Holy Prophet Muhammad
sa
. He
later established the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community in 1889 under Divine guid-
ance. His work was carried on by his
Successors or Caliphs, who aim to unite
the world under one message of peace.
as
had
a vision for interfaith conferences to
be held around the world to unite all
religions on a common platform. Our
God has never discriminated between
one people and another, the Promised
Messiah
as

said. He also said that every
participant to these interfaith conferences
should present his faiths excellences and
not malign others. Such conferences
RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS
A VEHICLE FOR PEACE
Tis is not the frst time
the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community has been
involved in such conferences.
In 1891 the call to peace
was the message of the
founder of the Ahmadiyya
community, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad
as
.
In Deuteronomy 1:17 the
Prophet Mosesas said: Show
no partiality in your decisions;
judge everyone on the same
basis, no matter who they are.
Te Prophet Jesus
as
faced crucifxion for
preaching about the values of peace and
brotherhood. Christian leaders today still
follow his example. In May, Pope Francis
made an unscheduled stop at the concrete
barrier that is being built in Israel and
around the West Bank to ofer prayers for
peace. Te unscheduled stop came after
he called for an end to the increasingly
unacceptable Palestinian-Israeli confict.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
aba
has
been acknowledged by a wide spectrum
of people, both senior dignitaries and
leaders as well as ordinary people, as a
true driving force towards world peace.
Britains Prime Minister David Cameron
praised His Holiness as Te Man of
Peace.
I am resolutely behind your desire for
world peace and hope that the conference
will be able to reinforce that message as
one that all the major faiths share, said
the Archbishop of Wales in a message
to Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
aba
. His
Holiness has managed to gain many sup-
porters through his eforts to promote
universal peace.
His message to world leaders is that
in order to achieve peace in this soci-
ety, the world powers have to act with
justice and not with personal interest.
Without justice there can be no peace
and failure to achieve peace can lead to
grave political confict and the possibil-
ity of nuclear warfare. But such a disaster
may be avoidable through supplication
to God and compassion for his creation.
In order to protect ourselves and to save
mankind we need to turn towards God
Almighty and we need to attach ourselves
to that Living God who did not forsake the
Prophet Moses
as
and his people and nor did
He forsake the Prophet Jesus
as
and his disci-
ples. Nor have true Muslims been deprived
from attaining the blessings of God and
seeing their prayers accepted, said Hazrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmad
aba
.
ENDNOTES
1. An Account of the Parliament of Living
Religions, Wembly, London 1924,
http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.
cgi?article=3779&context=ocj
RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS
A VEHICLE FOR PEACE
The world is passing through turbulent times. The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture. The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second World
War are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards a Third World
War. The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond our imagination. In
this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
aba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated. The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatreds and to build everlasting peace.
Read online at: www.alislam.org
Purchase the book here:
http://store.alislam.org/
22 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JUNE 2014
M
y country men, a religion
which does not inculcate
universal compassion is no
religion at all. Similarly, a human being
without the faculty of compassion is no
human at all. Our God has never dis-
criminated between one people and
another. Tis is illustrated by the fact that
all the potentials and capabilities which
have been granted to the Aryans have
also been granted to the races inhabit-
ing Arabia, Persia, Syria, China, Japan,
Europe and America. Te Earth created
by God provides a common foor for all
people alike, and His sun and moon and
many stars are a source of radiance and
provide many other benefts to all alike.
Likewise, all people beneft from the ele-
ments created by Him such as air, water,
fre and earth, and similarly from other
products created by Him such as grain,
fruit, and healing agents, etcetera. Tese
attributes of God teach us the lesson that
we, too, should behave magnanimously
and kindly towards our fellow human
beings and should not be petty of heart
and illiberal.
[1]

Of all the principles to which I have been
made to adhere frmly, there is one that
has specifcally been revealed to me by
God Himself. Tat principle is to desist
from declaring false in essence such
religions as have been revealed by God
through His prophet and which have the
following characteristics; they have met
with wide acceptance in certain regions
of the world, having survived all chal-
lenges they have become well established
and deeply rooted. Having stood the test
of time for long, they have acquired a
measure of age and an air of perma-
nence. According to this principle, such
religions are essentially true and their
founders were most certainly prophets
of God.
[2]

Tis is a most attractive and peace giv-
ing principle which provides the basis
of reconciliation amongst nations and
promotes better moral conduct. This
principle teaches us to believe in the
truth of all prophets wherever they might
Unity of Religions
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
AS
,
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND IMAM MAHDI
Tese attributes of God
teach us the lesson that
we, too, should behave
magnanimously and kindly
towards our fellow human
beings and should not be
petty of heart and illiberal.
We present extracts from the writings of Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi
as
,
on religious freedom, consciousness and interfaith dialogue
British India, and respected citizens of
India be seen in the streets and boule-
vards of London for a few weeks. It will
be necessary that every participant pre-
sent his faiths excellences and not malign
others. If such a conference takes place, it
will be a legendary spiritual event from
our Honoured Queen and England,
which has been fed with Islamic mat-
ters incorrectly, will be introduced to the
true face of Islam. In this way, the peo-
ple of England will be apprised to the
true philosophy of every religion. It is
not a satisfactory state of afairs that the
information about the religions of India
reaches England through priests, because
the books of the priests which mention
other religions are like a polluted drain of
water containing much refuse and waste.
Te priests do not want to elicit the truth,
rather, they want to hide it. Tere is such
an adulteration of prejudice in their writ-
ings that it is difcult, indeed impossible,
that the real truth about religions should
reach England. If they had good inten-
tions, they would not have raised such
objections on the Quran as can also be
raised against the Torah of Moses. If they
had fear of God, they would not have
relied upon such books, which, in the
view of Muslims, are unauthentic and
devoid of defnitive truths [] Terefore,
it is highly desirable that for the good
of humanity a conference of religions be
held by the Empress of India to dissemi-
nate the reality of religions.
[4]

ENDNOTES
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
as
, A Message of
Peace (Surrey: Islam International Publications
Ltd., 2007), 6.
as
, Tohfa
Qaisariyah, in Roohani Khazain 2009, Vol. 12
(Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd.
2009), 256.
as
, Tohfa
Qaisariyah, in Roohani Khazain 2009, Vol. 12
(Surrey: Islam International Publications Ltd.
2009), 259.
as
, A Gift
for the Queen (Surrey: Islam International
Publications Ltd., 2012), 25 27.
have appeared; in India, Persia or China
or any other country and for whom God
has flled the hearts of millions of people
with awe and deep respect and has caused
their religion to be frmly rooted.
[3]
I also dare to make another submission. It
is evident from the historical records that
when the third of the Roman Caesars
ascended the throne, and had firmly
established his authority, he thought of
organising a debate amongst the two
well-known sects among the Christians.
one who believed in the Oneness of God
and the other that considered Jesus
as
as
god. Te debate took place in the pres-
ence of the Caesar of Rome in good
decorum and arrangement. Hundreds
of chairs were laid to seat honoured
observers and members of the govern-
ment according to their status to listen
to the debate. Te debate of the priests
from both sides lasted for forty days in
the court of the king. Te Roman Caesar
listened to the arguments from both sides
and pondered over them. In the end, the
sect considering Jesus, the Messiah, to be
only a messenger of God and a prophet
prevailed. Te other sect faced such defeat
that the Caesar disclosed in the gather-
ing that he was drawn towards the sect
believing in the Oneness of God due to
their argument and not of his own con-
sideration. Before leaving the gathering,
he adopted the belief of Oneness of God
and became one of those mentioned also
in the Holy Quran and stopped using
the phrase son with reference to God.
Tereafter, the next three Caesars who
ascended the throne also believed in
the Oneness of God. Tis shows that
such conferences were a tradition of
the Christian kings of the past and led
to great changes. Pondering over such
events, it is the earnest desire of my heart
that our Empress of India may also hold
such a conference presided from the
throne. It would be a memorable spir-
itual event. Tis conference should be
of a broader scope than that held by
the Caesar of Rome as our Honoured
Empress has a higher status than the
Roman Emperor. An additional reason
for this request is that since the people
of this country have come to know of
the Conference of Religions in America,
naturally hearts are excited that Your
Majesty should also arrange such a con-
ference in London so that, due to this
event, groups of loyal subjects in this
country and their leaders and scholars
may meet Your Majesty at the capital;
and so that Your Majestys eyes may also
fall on the thousands of loyal subjects of
UNITY OF RELIGIONS
Sarah Barry | shutterstock.com
Religious leaders from various faiths took to the podium at the
historic Conference of World Religions to explain what the role of
God in the 21st century is according to their scriptures.
Judaism shares many similar teachings with
Christianity and Islam and is 3500 years
old, making it one of the oldest religions of
the world. Jews believe in Moses
as
and their
holy book is the Torah.
Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber
Representative of the Chief Rabbi of
Israel
Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber is a renown
author and a Jewish scholar. He received
his doctorate from University College in
London and served as the Dean of the fac-
ulty of Jewish studies. He has taught at
Bar-Ilan University in the departments
of Jewish History and Talmud, since 1968.
He serves as President of the Jesselson
Institute of Advanced Torah Studies at
Bar-Ilan University. He is also the Rabbi
of Congregation of Menachem Zion in the
Old City of Jerusalem.
Your Holiness, the Khalifah of Islam,
most distinguished representatives of the
various faiths, esteemed participants in
this very historic occasion, ladies and gen-
tlemen, I do feel deeply honoured to have
been invited to this very august meeting
to represent the Israeli Rabbinate, and
indeed the Jewish religion.
Judaism, as is well known, is the pro-
genitor of the monotheistic religions, the
so-called Abrahamic family; it posits a
single Supreme Being who created the
world, indeed the universe, and all that
is in it, putting humankind on the world,
not as masters, but as custodians, to tend
it, to improve it, and preserve it for future
generations. Te Talmud tells us a story
of a certain Rabbi who saw an old man
planting a carob tree. Old man, he said
to him, why are you planting a carob tree
(Representative of the Chief Rabbi of Israel)
Judaism
Hinduism
Buddhism
Druze
Christianity
Islam
with the element of divinity. Each of us is
a universe of its own, and when we view
the other we are viewing yet another uni-
verse. Hence our care towards the other
is our care towards its universe and its
Supreme Creator, which both encom-
passes it as well as being contained within
it. A true experiential realization of this
truth creates for each and every one of
us a tremendous duty of responsibility
towards all that surrounds us.
Regretfully, we live in a world of ever-
increasing secularism, on the one hand,
and, as a sort of counter-reaction, a
rapid growth of extremist and intolerant
pietism. We live in a society where mate-
rialism is seen as a positive value of the
highest order, and where the gap between
the have and have-nots has reached ter-
rifying proportions. In the name of
progress, and comfort we are depleting
the worlds natural resources, polluting
our fresh-water assets, destroying our for-
ests, and I hardly need to continue this
litany of ecological maladies. We live in
a world riven with political and religious
strife and turmoil. Te name of God and
His messages are trampled underfoot in
the name of rationalism and political
convenience.
Let us return to a simple unsophisticated
faith in the sanctity of God, man and His
nature, and seek cures for the ills that
plague our society: help, mutual respect
and the legitimacy of pluralistic faith,
thus ushering in a new vision of peace
and harmony among all peoples.
We spoke of the tremendous duty of
responsibility we bear towards one
another. We pray to the Almighty that
we may carry out this duty faithfully to
the betterment of humanity and indeed
of ourselves, and with Gods help we will
surely succeed.
that will only give its fruits in 70 years
time? Te old man replied, My forefa-
thers planted carob trees so that I could
beneft from them. I shall plant a carob
tree for my grandchildren. Hence, the
involvement in conservation and ecology
is not merely a matter of global inter-
est, but it is also a divine directive. Te
concept of the Sabbath as a day of rest
for all people constitutes a unique con-
tribution to world civilization. Likewise,
the notion of a Sabbatical year, when all
debts are cancelled, giving an opportu-
nity for the debt-ridden impoverished
to reconstitute their lives, and when all
privately owned land becomes public
property for one year, creating a situation
De jure of greater fnancial equality, and
also a keener understanding that the land
belongs not to humans but to God, this
too is a spiritual message of the greatest
import. Te Hebrew Bible has numerous
laws that may be divided into two major
categories: the one-ritual laws, which
refer primarily to Jews, and the other
social-interpersonal laws, that constitute
a blueprint for the morality and ethical
behaviour of all humankind. Hence,
charity, freedom, the dignity of the indi-
vidual, the overriding value of human
life, the care for the poor, the indigent
and those less favoured by nature, are
cardinal notions in Judaism, which have
become universally accepted as humani-
tarian values. But Judaism sees them as
divine directives. Te Bible formulates
two interrelated commandments: to love
ones God, and to love ones neighbour,
interrelated because all humans have in
them a component of divinity. Hence, we
respect the other and seek universal har-
mony in the spirit of these twin loves.
Te Rabbis tell us that he who saves a
single life it is as though he has saved the
whole universe. So, a single individual is,
in a sense, a microcosm of the whole uni-
verse, a microcosm that, as stated above,
also has a component of divinity, or per-
haps we should say, is infused throughout
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
Te Talmud tells us a story of a certain Rabbi who saw an old
man planting a carob tree. Old man, he said to him, why
are you planting a carob tree that will only give its fruits
in 70 years time? Te old man replied, My forefathers
planted carob trees so that I could beneft from them.
We live in a society where materialism is seen as a positive
value of the highest order, and where the gap between the
have and have-nots has reached terrifying proportions.
a strange root journey for Sir Francis
Younghusband. He was a scion of the
British Empire who had been sent out
to help rule in India and Tibet, and while
he was there he gained a diferent under-
standing of religion and spirituality. He
came back and said that the religions of
the East were like the beautiful moun-
tains of Tibet, in comparison to what he
felt the Church of England was at that
time; the low foothills.
He also brought to the World Congress
of Faiths a really important value that I
would like to share with you this even-
ing; he called it fellowship, and it means
various diferent things as the years have
gone by. To Sir Francis Younghusband, it
didnt just mean the fellowship that one
gains from being in the company of just
wonderful people, though that is part of
what we seek in interfaith relationships;
to get to know other people, to get to
learn, to be excited about the diferences
between faiths, to be supportive of each
other on our spiritual journeys through
life. His notion of fellowship, though,
went deeper; he wanted us to have an
understanding of the oneness that lies
behind all these diferences, the oneness
of creation, the oneness as the source of
our spiritual desires, and this is what he
brought, and I think in looking around
the world today, if only we could all fol-
low this value of being excited of the
diferences between faiths, being true to
our own faiths but understanding and
valuing the oneness behind all faiths as
all of us of creatures of the oneness, the
spirituality, the God that is there. And
so I bring you greetings, and may you go
from strength to strength, and as a rabbi I
say to you, mazel tov; which is both say-
ing wonderful that you have got this far,
and good luck for the future, and thank
you again very much indeed.
Rabbi Jackie Tabik
Convenor of the Reform Movement
Beit Din, Co-President of the World
Congress of Faiths
Rabbi Jackie Tabik is a leading member of
the Jewish community and joint president
of the World Congress of Faiths (WCF).
Te World Congress of Faiths has its origins
in the Congress, organised by Sir Francis
Younghusband, which took place in 1936.
Te organisation is committed to respect the
integrity of world faith traditions. It pub-
lishes journals and holds interfaith meetings
to improve understanding on faith matters.
First, let me say how honoured I am to
have been invited to attend this gather-
ing this evening, and I bring greetings
from my Co-President, Reverend Marcus
Braybrooke, who would have loved to
have been with you, but could not make
it and sent me in his place, so thank you
very much!
The connections between the World
Congress of Faiths and that event in
1924 are very close. Te founder of the
World Congress of Faiths, Sir Francis
Younghusband attended that meeting
in Imperial College, and perhaps it was
that meeting that helped him along the
way to found the World Congress. It was
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
Rabbi Jackie Tabik (Convenor of the
Reform Movement Beit Din, Co-President
of the World Congress of Faiths)
Te connections between the World Congress of Faiths and
that event in 1924 are very close. Te founder of the World
Congress of Faiths, Sir Francis Younghusband attended that
meeting in Imperial College, and perhaps it was that meeting
that helped him along the way to found the World Congress.
First, let me say how
honoured I am to have
been invited to attend this
gathering this evening, and
I bring greetings from my
Co-President, Reverend
Marcus Braybrooke...
political leadership and other groups,
they have failed to bring peace and, har-
mony among the communities, or in the
world as a whole. You can see conficts all
over the place, and for one reason or the
other, people dont believe political lead-
ers. So, I think this is the time when we
have to come back to our faiths and when
I say faith, faith is to believe 100%, we
cannot choose part of what our Messiah
said, what our books are saying, we have
to follow them 100%.
Today, although in the Hindu religion
there are many scriptures, many sayings,
many books; I have chosen Bhagavad
Gita as our guideline and our guid-
ing light, because Bhagavad Gita is the
scripture which Lord Krishna himself
told Arjuna, when Arjuna was in a state
of deep, deep depression. He was not
very sure what to do, what decision to
make, and at that particular time lord
Krishna guided him. I have one verse
from Bhagavad Gita in which Krishna
says: Always think of one. Become my
devotee. Worship me. And ofer your
homage unto me, thus you will come
to me without fail. I promise you this
because you are my very dear friend. Tis
is verse 18.65. Because Gitas message is
for the whole universe, it is not for Indian
communities, not for India, it is for the
universe, because at no stage has lord
Krishna mentioned about Hindus, he has
spoken about mankind because Gita will
tell you what is the aim of life, what is
happiness, what is death; all these prob-
lems today are caused by ignorance.
If we follow the path of lord Krishnas
teachings, all the problems which we are
facing can be addressed, because Gita is
the message of oneness, Gita is message
for love and service to those who need
it. Gita is not for one community, or for
one aim.
I am very, very thankful that His Holiness
has provided us a platform like this
today, where we can hear and share our
faiths, and our thoughts, but one thing
I would say that when we come back to
our devotees, when we talk to them, we
should lead by example. Tey will only
listen when they see, like Huzur Sahibs
example, that he is leading by example.
He means what he says, and he says it
openly, and they do it practically. With
these words I thank again, and extend my
best wishes to the Conference.
Tank you!
Te Bhagavad Gita, is one of many scrip-
tures sacred to the Hindus. Hinduism has
close to 900 million adherents worldwide
and can be traced back to ancient Indian cul-
tures along the Indus Valley. Hindus believe
in a supreme God that is worshiped through
various deities.
Umesh Chander Sharma
Chairman of Hindu Council UK
Mr. Umesh Chander Sharma has been
actively involved in the community through
various leadership roles and been instru-
mental in advancing the social, cultural and
religious interests of the Indian and Hindu
communities living in the UK. He is the
Chairman of the Hindu Temple Trust and
the Chairman of the largest Hindu umbrella
body in the UK, the Hindu Council UK.
His Holiness, faith leaders and political
leaders, I am deeply honoured that I have
been invited to address the conference,
because many years ago when I visited
Huzur Sahib [Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad
aba
] for the frst time, I suggested
Huzur Sahib to have these kinds of con-
ferences where we can openly discuss
about our problems and bring faiths
together, bringing communities together,
and to my surprise Huzur Sahib told me:
Umesh, these things are happening for
so many years, come next time. So, I am
glad I have been able to attend all those
conferences, and today I am address-
ing the conference as Chairman of the
Hindu Council UK.
Todays topic is very interesting - God
in the 21
st
century. It means that at
least one thing is sure, that all of us, we
believe that God exists. And the other
thing which is very clear, is that all the
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
Umesh Chander Sharma
(Chairman of Hindu Council UK)
need for kindness, love, cooperation and
caring. Yet, every development of human
society is founded on such a basis. So pre-
serving our essential humanity involves
cultivating a sincere responsibility for our
fellow human beings.
Today, our interdependent world requires
us to accept the oneness of humanity.
Many of our worlds problems and con-
ficts arise because we have lost sight of
the basic humanity that binds us alto-
gether as a human family. We forget that
despite the superfcial diferences within
us, people are same in their basic wish
for peace and happiness. Confict in the
name of religion occurs when people fail
to grasp true intent of their respective
faith.
For some time I have felt that there are
measures that we can adopt to help us
nurture understanding and harmony
among our diferent religious traditions,
and thus promote peace and security in
society. We should convene regular inter-
faith meetings among leaders of diferent
religious traditions so that we can share
their spiritual experiences and insights.
We should also promote meetings of
scholars to discuss and study what they
have in common rather than what is dif-
ferent among various religious traditions.
Finally, and perhaps most important for
the far-reaching efect it can have, we
should encourage contacts among the
followers of diferent religions and visit
to each others places of pilgrimage and
prayer. I frmly believe that if these steps
are taken, the general public will develop
respect for others religious traditions.
Tis, in turn, will help promote harmony
in society.
It is this context that I give my whole-
hearted support to the Conference of
World Religions being convened in
London on 11
th
February 2014 by the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, UK. I
believe that meetings of this sort have a
powerful symbolic efect. Te symbolic
efect of the leaders of many religions
coming together and speaking from a
shared platform sets a strong example
to the millions of religious followers
all over the world. It signals our need
to reach out to each other and work for
the common human goal of peace and
happiness. On this auspicious occasion
I ofer my greetings to everyone attend-
ing and participating in this event and I
pray that fruits of your exchanges will be
far-reaching and long lasting.
Dalai Lama
Tank you!
Buddhism has attracted 376 million follow-
ers worldwide and follows the teachings of
Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism focuses
on spiritual development and the ultimate
attainment of Nirvana.
Geshe Tashi Tsering
A representative of His Holiness,
the Dalai Lama
Geshe Tashi Tsering represented His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama and shared a
special message from him. Geshe Tashi
Tsering was born in west Tibet and in 1974
he became the frst young man to join the
Sera Mey Monastery. He studied there and
gained his Geshe Lharampa Degree, equiva-
lent to a Ph.D. He came to Europe in 1991
and taught in monasteries in France and the
United Kingdom. He is the resident teacher
in Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London.
Your Holiness and distinguished guests,
it is a great honour and I am humbled be
here with you and to read His Holiness,
the Dalai Lamas message:
All religions teach the virtues of love,
altruism and patience, therefore, even
though they may hold diferent philo-
sophical points of view, we should respect
them all. Every religious tradition has
made a signifcant contribution to the
humanity for centuries past. In the future
too, such traditions can help us promote
peace in our own respective commu-
nities and bring about harmony and
understanding between neighbours. Te
important thing is for all believers to put
the teachings of their respective religious
traditions into practice sincerely in their
day-to-day lives. Essentially, all religions
teach us to discipline and transform our-
selves so that we can achieve inner peace
and a kind heart. In this Era of rapid
advancement, material development has
brought with it an undue emphasis on
external progress. As a result, we often
forget to foster the most basic human
Geshe Tashi Tsering (A representative
of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama)
Dear brothers and sisters, everyone who
reads the Holy Quran and the Holy
Bible in its Old and New Testaments,
will fnd that the heavenly religions urge
to unite towards the Great Creator and
all of these religions followers recognise
the power of God over His creation, and
believe in judgment day and that Allah
the Almighty has created human beings
and given them nearness and honour.
All these heavenly religions agree on the
Unity of God the Almighty as everyone
is created equally, despite the diferences
in colour, gender, religion and belief.
Dear guests, Allah says in the Holy
Quran:
O mankind, We have created you from
a male and a female; and We have made
you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may
recognise one another. Verily, the most hon-
ourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is
he who is the most righteous among you.
[1]
How strange is it that some people dif-
ferentiate between human beings and his
fellow brothers while God has created
man in His own image and exalted him
far above all other creatures, and sent
prophets and messengers to invite peo-
ple to worship Him and prevent them
from fghting each other; as He forbade
killing and the diferentiation between
human beings and to judge them accord-
ing to his religion or belief, as everyone
who believes in God is a brother to his
fellow brother, who believes in the same
God. He has the full right to profess and
exercise his religion freely, as it is stated
that there is no diference between an
Arab and a non-Arab except in piety.
My brothers, some wonder whether
the Lord of the heavens and earth, the
Creator of the universe, exists or not and
what the signs are of His presence and
existence.
Allah the Almighty sent His Prophets
and Messengers to unite people and
to enable them live according to His
Te Druze faith was founded in Egypt in
the 11
th
century and its followers primarily
reside in the Middle East. Te Druze are
strictly monotheistic and fnds its roots in the
Ishmaelite branch of the Shiite. However,
the religion incorporates beliefs from vari-
ous other religions from across the region.
Sheikh Moafaq Tarif
Spiritual Leader of the Druze
Community of Israel
Sheikh Moafaq Tarif is the Spiritual
Head of the Druze Community in Israel.
Sheikh Tarif is a descendant of the Tarif
family which has been leading the Druze
Community in Israel since 1753. He
inherited his role as the leader of the Druze
Community from his grandfather Sheikh
Amin Tarif in 1993 and has responsibil-
ity for the Communitys holy sites in Israel.
Translated from the Arabic
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious,
the Ever Merciful.
Praise be to Allah and peace be upon all
the Prophets and Messengers.
Distinguished religious leaders and
guests,
It is a great honour to stand in front of
you on behalf of myself and on behalf
of the people of the Unitarian Druze
Community in Israel; a sect which has
strong relations and close ties with all
sects and religions in the Holy Land,
which is a peace-loving land, the sup-
porter of peace, the Promised Land, the
cradle of faith and the home and place of
the spiritual journey of all the Prophets.
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
Sheikh Moafaq Tarif (Spiritual Leader
of the Druze Community of Israel)
It is a great honour to stand
in front of you on behalf of
myself and on behalf of the
people of the Unitarian Druze
Community in Israel; a sect
which has strong relations and
close ties with all sects and
religions in the Holy Land,
which is a peace-loving land...
Dear brothers, I am really grateful to His
Holiness, the Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor
Ahmad
aba
, and also the Amir of this
Community in Israel, Mohammad
Sharif Odeh and to all of its members
for inviting me today. I am congratulat-
ing you for this impressive Conference
of World Religions, which is a part of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim UKs centenary
celebrations. Tis community which we
respect and we are so proud of; we have
strong ties with its members and Amir
in the Holy Land, it is an honour for us
to participate in your celebrations and it
will be an honour for us as well if you will
share with us our diferent celebrations
and occasions. I wish that todays confer-
ence will be successful and its objectives
will be achieved.
Dear brothers, let us all, with the help of
Allah and by following the command-
ments of all prophets and messengers of
all religions, join our hands in denounc-
ing violence, aggression and evil acts in
all forms and shapes, and let us do our
best to bring hearts together and to sow
the seed of love to promote just and com-
prehensive peace, not only in the East but
all over the world. Te Earth is vast and
spacious; and there is a place and abode
for everyone.
Let us all, as religious and political lead-
ers and as believers, hold fast to the rope
of Allah to establish love, brotherhood,
harmony and peace among people, in
order to develop unity and to create a
society which is like one family. And hold
fast, all together, by the rope of Allah and
be not divided, And help one another in
righteousness and piety; but help not one
another in sin and transgression, blessed
are the Peacemakers for they are called the
sons of God.
Finally, I extend on behalf of the
Unitarian Druze Community, our
warmest congratulations to our broth-
ersmembers of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community with regard to this spe-
cial and honourable event wishing you
the best, and to all participants in this
conference wishing that God would help
and guide us to the ways of good and to
the right path, and lead us to the best
ways of taking care of the followers of
our religions and sects. Te matter will
ultimately lead to the best of the world.
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon
you all!
ENDNOTES
1. Holy Quran, Sura Al-Hujurat, Verse 14.
commandments, after creating the uni-
verse out of nothing. Every sensible
human being should clearly conclude
that a Supreme Engineer is behind its
design, as each physical body consists
of a head without which nothing func-
tions and operates, whether the body
belongs to a human or to an animal. As
the physical head is the summit of eve-
rything so it is the Supreme Being, who
is called Al-Bari, who is the summit of
this universe.
Dear brothers, I always believe in good
relations which exist between people
in our country, by Allahs Grace and
Wisdom, in addition to the wisdom of
the religious, social and political leaders
in leading daily life and creating mutual
understanding and cooperation between
all the religious groups. Tis wisdom was
needed to establish harmony among all
people. It was a positive factor to estab-
lish freedom of religion and belief, and
a motivation for tolerance and love
between human beings and his fellow
brother, and between servants and God,
the Lord of all worlds.
All the heavenly messages are based on
sacredness, nobility and purification;
all those who believe in God believe in
brotherhood of nations, justice and pure
faith in God. Te pure objective of all
religions is reformation, creation of peace,
love and understanding and all the ways
and methods in implementing it.
Unfortunately, we observe that some
people attempt to misinterpret and mis-
quote anything related to religion, which
transforms a merciful religion into a mer-
ciless religion of intolerance. Tey will
forbid what is allowed and allow what
is forbidden.
Every religion urges goodness, harmony,
tolerance, love and brotherhood, and does
not diferentiate between the believer and
his fellow brother and calls for a mutual
respect, regardless of diferences in belief
or opinion.
Every religion urges goodness,
harmony, tolerance, love
and brotherhood, and does
not diferentiate between
the believer and his fellow
brother and calls for a
mutual respect, regardless of
diferences in belief or opinion.
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
began to celebrate Easter, to celebrate the
resurrection of their Lord from the dead
- was to discern and decide under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit the set of
books which were to be recognised as the
normative witness to their Risen Lord. It
was eventually settled over a long period
of time, and the result of that process of
discernment was what we call the Canon
of Sacred Scripture; and at the heart of
it, of course, are the gospels. Tese are
words of Jesus to his disciples, taken from
St Matthews gospel:
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt
becomes tasteless, what can make it salty
again. You are the light of the world. Your
light must shine in the sight of men, so
that seeing your good works, they may
give the praise to our Father in heaven.
And in St Johns gospel, he says:
Peace I bequeath to you,
my own peace I give you
a peace the world cannot give, this is my
gift to you.
It was in obedience to the Lords words
and, I believe, under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit, that in 1986 Pope John Paul
II convened the gathering of Christian
leaders and representatives of other
religions to pray and witness to peace
together in Assisi. I see todays meeting
as another moment in the contemporary
process of the coming together of reli-
gions in the cause of peace and justice.
We would all explain our reasons for
responding to the call to be here together
in somewhat diferent ways, shaped by
our own deepest convictions and beliefs.
I am convinced, however, that the contri-
bution that each of us has to make and,
most crucially, the contribution we can
and must make together, is vital for the
peace in the world.
As Christians, we recognise Jesus Christ,
our Risen Lord, as the Prince of Peace.
We pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit
to give us wisdom and to guide is in the
Te Catholic Church has more than 1 billion
followers around the world. Catholicism is
one of the oldest religious institutions in the
Western world. Te Catholic Church varies
from other Christian denominations based
primarily upon its structure.
Archbishop Kevin McDonald
Catholic Church UK

Archbishop Kevin McDonald was ordained
as a priest in 1974 and his frst appoint-
ment was to All Saints, Stourbridge, in
Worcestershire. He worked as an ofcial at
the Pontifcal Council for Christian Unity
in Rome, where he had special responsibil-
ity for Anglican and Methodist relations. In
1993 he returned to England and was the
Parish Priest of English Martyrs, Sparkhill
from 1993-1998. Tis is mostly a Muslim
area and it was here that he developed his
interest in inter-religious dialogue. He was
ordained as the Bishop of Northampton May
2001 and went on to serve as the Archbishop
of Southwark from 2003-2009. He leads
the UK Catholic Churchs work on inter-
faith relations.
Your Holiness and distinguished guests,
I am both honoured and grateful for the
opportunity to speak on behalf of the
Catholic Church at this Conference
of World Religions, organised by the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in this,
your centenary year. It is a sign of the
times that a gathering of this kind should
take place, and it is a reason to be grateful
for the times in which we live.
Te heart and the centre of Christian
faith is, of course, the person of Jesus
Christ. One of the most vital tasks of the
frst followers of Christ - the people who
Christian values have
created the moral framework
for our social life in this
country, but as Christian
faith loses its purchase in
society, our moral compass
falters and we lose direction.
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
Archbishop Kevin McDonald
(Catholic Church UK)
theme today is God in the 21st century.
I believe that all of us, from the vantage
points of our own faith communities,
should be able to see our coming together
in the cause of peace as being an oppor-
tunity to be part of Gods purposes in our
times. Tank you!
I also have a message from my superi-
ors. Tis is from the Vatican, specifcally
from Cardinal Peter Turkson, who is the
President of the Pontifcal Council for
Justice and Peace:
On behalf of the Pontif ical Council for
Justice and Peace, I am grateful for the
opportunity to direct this by my prayerful
greeting to the Centenary Conference of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, espe-
cially as representatives of diferent faiths
gathered to consider peace.
I make my own and share with you, the
words which Pope Francis addressed,
on 20
th
March, to representatives of the
worlds religions who gathered for the
inauguration, on the previous day, of his
ministry as a Bishop of Rome and the
Successor of Peter.
With the Holy Father, I pray that your
conference increase awareness of the
responsibility which all of us have for our
world, for the whole of creation, which we
must love and protect. Tere is much that
we can do to beneft the poor, the needy
and those who sufer, and to favour justice,
promote reconciliation and build peace. But
before all else we need to keep alive in our
world the thirst for the absolute, and to
counter the dominance of a one- dimen-
sional vision of the human person, a vision
which reduces human beings to what they
produce and to what they consume: this
is one of the most insidious temptations of
our time.
Rather, may love, that extraordinary force
which leads people to opt for courageous
and generous engagement in the feld of
justice and peace and which has its origins
in God, inspire our shared commitment to
promoting the justice and peace of the whole
human family.
Finally, I wish to commend your gather-
ing and deliberations of Gods guidance
and inspiration. May His peace be with
you all!
Cardinal Peter K.A Turkson,
President
Tank You!
way of peace. But Christians cannot,
and do not, stand alone in the cause of
peace, but must stand in solidarity with
all people of faith. Last June, Cardinal
Jean Louis Tauran, who is Pope Franciss
principal advisor on interfaith matters,
visited several communities of other reli-
gions in this country, and in our dialogue
we focused on the theme of peace from
diferent perspectives. What struck me
most as I listened to contributions from
representatives of diferent religions was
that consistently there was a clear con-
nection between prayer and peace. Men
and women become people of peace pre-
cisely through prayerful fdelity to the
religious truth in which they believe. Tat
is how it works. We can be peacemakers
if we personally receive the gift of peace.
And the reasons we need to come
together is that our witness to peace will
be all the more efective if it can be a
common and concerted witness. When
Pope Benedict addressed politicians in
Westminster Hall in 2010, he spoke of
the vital contribution that religions must
make to the Common Good, to iden-
tifying and promoting the values that
underpin our lives, that underpin social
harmony and peace in our communities,
and in our world. Christian values have
created the moral framework for our
social life in this country, but as Christian
faith loses its purchase in society, our
moral compass falters and we lose direc-
tion. Changing that situation is a task for
all faith communities who live together
in this country. We must be in solidarity,
not in confict, and the terrible events we
watch unfolding in Syria and elsewhere
should act as a stimulus for taking that
forward. To me, one of the most shock-
ing and discouraging things in our world
today is to see people of religion at odds
with one another.
It is often said that Britain is now a secu-
lar country, but that is rather simplistic.
In Britain today we welcome people from
all over the world - people of diferent
races and diferent faiths. What I want
to say is that it is vital that together, we
identify the shared values that can be the
basis of a peaceful society, and a more
peaceful world. And I suggest that in
Britain we have a special responsibility
for contributing to this process, because
this is a fundamentally tolerant society.
We are free to learn and receive from one
another, and to contribute to the com-
mon good together. I see todays meeting
as another opportunity to learn that les-
son afresh, to commit ourselves to peace
together, and to do that for ourselves
for our society and for our world. Our
GOD IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY
others; one is serving God, and the other
is serving Gods creation. It was on the
basis of the abovementioned overarch-
ing principals that the Nusrat Jehan
Scheme was established. The Nusrat
Jehan Scheme is an ongoing Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community program, which
focuses on social, economic and educa-
tional development in West Africa and
has established hundreds of hospitals and
schools.
In Ghana, His Holiness founded the
Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Salaga,
where he served two years as the head-
master. Based on his success there, he was
appointed headmaster of the Ahmadiyya
Secondary School at Essarkyir for the
next four years. His research on wheat
plantation and irrigation led to a suc-
cessful experiment of growing wheat in
Ghana for the frst time in its history.
He had a keen interest in agriculture
from childhood and would often go with
his father to his farm and help there.
Upon his return to Pakistan in 1985,
he served in various capacities in the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community ofces
of fnance, education, beautifcation and
jurisprudence etc. in Rabwah.
In 1999, His Holiness was imprisoned
for a short period of time on the com-
pletely false charge of erasing words of
the Holy Quran from a sign. Pakistans
constitution and penal code prohibits
Ahmadi Muslims from practising Islam.
Even a slight association with the faith is
grounds for fnes, imprisonment or cap-
ital punishment. Ahmadi Muslims are
subjected to persecution in many Muslim
majority countries. Hundreds have been
murdered at the hands of extremists and
the prejudiced, yet His Holiness forbids
his community to show any violence
in return.

On April 22, 2003, he was elected to the
lifelong position of Khalifah (Caliph)
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
after the demise of Hazrat Mirza Tahir
Ahmad
rh
, the Fourth Khalifah. In that
capacity, His Holiness serves as the
Worldwide Spiritual and Administrative
Head of an international religious organ-
isation with tens of millions of members
spread across more than 200 countries.
His Holiness has expounded upon issues
like faith in a living God, service of
humanity, universal human rights, justice
and equality through sermons, speeches,
books and interviews. Mankind today is
far-removed from and negligent of the
His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor
Ahmad V
aba
, is the Supreme Head of
the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community and the Fifth Successor to

and Reformer,
as
of
Qadian, India. He was born on September
15, 1950 in Rabwah, Pakistan. At home,
religion was always given precedence.
He was brought up in a very spiritual
environment where the focus was on
the fve daily prayers, regular reading
of the Holy Quran and other Islamic
teachings. From an early age he received
training volunteering for the youth aux-
iliary of the Ahmadiyya Community and
held several key roles, which led him to
develop astute administrative and leader-
ship skills. In 1977, at the age of 27, His
Holiness formally dedicated his life to
the service of Islam after completing his
Masters in Agricultural Economics from
Faisalabad University, Pakistan.
It was then, in the prime of his youth
when he had his entire life ahead of
him, he decided to dedicate every single
moment to his faith. His Holiness was
sent by Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad
rh
,
Khalifatul Masih III, Third world-
wide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community, to Ghana, under the Nusrat
Jehan Scheme, the same year he fnished
his education. In Islam there are two
overriding teachings that encompass all
INTRODUCTION TO
Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmad
aba

WORLDWIDE HEAD OF THE
AHMADI Y YA MUSLIM COMMUNITY
Keynote speaker at World Conference of Religions
BY HAJRA AHMAD - OSHKOSH, USA
remembrance of God in the true sense,
His Holiness said in an address at the
Annual Convention in Germany on June
26, 2010. While there are some who
deny the existence of God, others con-
sider religion at the core of restlessness
in the world, but that is because religions
are often misinterpreted by scholars, he
said. He urges people of all faiths to fnd
common ground in the existence of God
and asks they bring together their shared
values to create an atmosphere of love
and afection.
To win the pleasure of the Creator, live
as one by removing all religious difer-
ence and putting human values foremost,
His Holiness said in his speech.
Under his directives, Ahmadi Muslims
have hosted a number of interfaith gath-
erings, peace symposia and exhibitions of
the Quran, around the globe.
Some people may think what I am say-
ing is rather idealistic and impossible to
practically achieve, he said in his key-
note address at the Conference of World
Religions, hosted by the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community UK on February
11, 2014 in London.
Yet, when we look at the long history
of religions we come to realise that such
a compassionate and caring society is
exactly what God desires, he said.
As a humanitarian, His Holiness takes
interest in alleviating the problems in
developing countries. His eforts include
helping improve agricultural develop-
ment, facilitating for food, clean water
and electricity, and building schools
and hospitals in developing nations.
He guides organisations like Humanity
First, an international charitable trust
established to promote and safeguard
the preservation of human life and dig-
nity, and development groups like the
International Association of Ahmadi
Architects and Engineers (IAAAE) who
oversee development projects in remote
parts of the world.
He currently resides in London, England.
ABA

WORLDWIDE HEAD OF THE AHMADIYYA
MUSLIM COMMUNITY
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The official website of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community worldwide.
You can find a huge collection of free
online material, including translation and
commentary of the Holy Quran and you
can access literature of the Community
including the books written by its
founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
as
.
www.alislam.org
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim - In the
Name of Allah, the Gracious, Ever
Merciful.
All distinguished guests Assalamo
Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahe Wa Barakatohu
you all.
First of all I would like to take this oppor-
tunity to thank all of the distinguished
guests for attending this event. I would
particularly like to express my gratitude
to the eminent guest speakers, who in a
very short space of time, have outlined
their beliefs and views. I fully understand
that to fully explain ones beliefs in such
a short period of time is impossible and
so perhaps our distinguished guests will
have been unable to discuss everything
that they would have liked.
Nonetheless, the fact that the people
of diferent backgrounds have gathered
together this evening upon one platform
proves that we, who are the followers of
various religions, are united by a common
desire and objective. And that common
objective is to work towards improving
the lives of the Creation of the Creator
of the Heavens and the Earth amongst
whom human beings have been deemed
to be the very highest form.
And that common objective is
to work towards improving
the lives of the Creation of
the Creator of the Heavens
and the Earth amongst
whom human beings
have been deemed to be
the very highest form.
Keynote Address by
Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
at Conference of World Religions -
ABA
KHALIFATUL MASIH V
HEAD OF THE WORLDWIDE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY
Over the course of the past year, various
events have been held to mark and cel-
ebrate the Centenary of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community in the United
Kingdom, but todays event is the best
of all. It is an excellent means of pro-
viding a common platform for people to
come together to discuss the importance
of God in these times. Tus, those who
have arranged this event are deserving of
our thanks and gratitude. I am personally
particularly grateful because through this
evenings event I have been introduced to
many new people.
Tese sentiments of gratitude I feel actu-
ally turn my attention towards that God,
who according to the teachings of my
religion has commanded man to show
gratitude to his fellow man wherever it
is due. Tus, if someone is kind to you
it is necessary to express your apprecia-
tion to them, because being grateful to
man is an essential requirement of being
grateful to God Almighty. It is this per-
ception and portrayal of God that Islam
provides. Certainly, if a person who fol-
lows the true teachings of Islam and who
truly believes in God were to act upon
just this one teaching with sincerity, he
would fnd that his gratitude would be
a means of spreading love and afection
in society, just as a blossoming fower
spreads beauty and fragrance amongst its
surroundings regardless of which century
this is being spread in.
If every single one of us were to act in
this way we would fnd that the burning
hatreds and conficts of the world that
emerge at diferent times, in diferent
ways and on diferent occasions would
all be buried once and for all and would
be replaced by love and peace at all times
and at all places.
Some people may think what I am say-
ing is rather idealistic and impossible to
practically achieve. Yet, when we look at
the long history of religions we come to
If every single one of us were
to act in this way we would
fnd that the burning hatreds
and conficts of the world
that emerge at diferent
times, in diferent ways
and on diferent occasions
would all be buried once
and for all and would be
replaced by love and peace at
all times and at all places.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY
HEAD OF AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY AT
CONFERENCE OF WORLD RELIGIONS
Te Holy Quran recounts the incidents
of such people who moved far away from
God Almighty and consequently became
embroiled in various trials and tribula-
tions and were ultimately left ruined.
Conversely, those who established a
close union with God were successful and
always proved to be victorious. Such nar-
rations are given not only in the Quran,
but in the scriptures of other religions
as well. Upon reading or hearing these
accounts we are forced to consider and
question, whether these stories are just
myths and fables or are they steeped in
reality? Did those consequences that
Gods chosen people warned about
actually come to occur? Were the signs
fulflled that Gods representatives pro-
claimed? Did God Almighty reward
and bestow His bounties on His cho-
sen ones? As a result of the teachings of
the Prophets, did people who believed
in God come to walk upon a path paved
with love and compassion for others?
In this short time, I cannot explain
each individual issue in depth, but I
can attest to the fact that the history
of religion proves that the answer to
all of these questions is most certainly
Yes. Te Holy Scripture that I believe
in, the Holy Quran, clearly informs us
that all of these things are true and that
God Almighty sends his prophets with
a mission to inculcate the very high-
est possible standards of spirituality in
mankind by forming a close union with
God. Trough that union man comes
to fulfl not only the rights of God, but
also by displaying the very highest moral
standards they are led to fulflling the
due rights of Gods Creation. And as I
said earlier, amongst Gods Creation it is
human beings who have been deemed to
realise that such a compassionate and
caring society is exactly what God desires.
God wills that mankind achieves these
noble objectives and reaches such a moral
pinnacle. It is for these reasons that God
has continually sent His prophets and
righteous representatives to all parts of
the world. Tey have been sent in order
to reform mankind and to develop a
spirit of mutual love, compassion and
brotherhood amongst all people. God
sent His representatives so that people
would be drawn towards fulflling the
rights of God Almighty and discharg-
ing the rights of one another.
Gods Prophets and chosen people were
able to form around themselves a com-
munity of such people who strived to lead
their lives according to His teachings,
whilst those who did not accept them
invariably met a sorry fate. Whenever
God sent His representatives they were
not universally accepted and there were
people who opposed religion and dis-
sented. Tey would say that the claimant
was merely trying to instil fear into the
people and that in reality there was no
need to believe in a God who was said to
be the Possessor of all Powers. Yet, those
very people who denied God and who
opposed the Prophets were ultimately
always destroyed.
God sent His representatives
so that people would be
drawn towards fulflling
the rights of God Almighty
and discharging the
rights of one another.
replaced them with the most magnif-
cent moral values instead. Tose very
people were transformed. Those very
people developed an unbreakable bond
with God Almighty. Never could any
worldly power have brought about such
a spiritual revolution.
In worldly terms the early Muslims were
very weak, and even if the Muslims did
gain any power, it was at a much later
time. During that initial period they
remained poor, destitute and without
means, yet due to their passionate and
sincere faith and their close relation-
ship with God they were ever ready to
sacrifce their lives for His sake. Tey
developed the highest standards of sac-
rifce and such an ardent desire to serve
mankind that they were ready to hand
over all of their possessions and whatever
they had in their homes for the sake of
helping other people.
If we compare and contrast the lives of
those people before and after they came
to believe in God, there can be no doubt
of the great transformation and meta-
morphosis that occurred in their hearts,
which was entirely due to having gained
knowledge and understanding of God.
Tose very people came to witness the
clear signs of Gods Help. The spir-
itual revolution that occurred was not
the result of chance or due to a desire
to achieve any worldly goal; rather, they
witnessed and saw for themselves that
the sentiments of love in the heart of
the Holy Prophet
sa
towards other peo-
ple were unparalleled.
Even Islams most bitter and ferocious
foes were compelled to accept this fact.
Tey were witnesses to the truth that
the Holy Prophet
sa
responded to their
brutality, hatred and vicious assaults
with nothing but forgiveness, mercy
and compassion. Tey were witnesses to
be the very best by God Almighty. Both
of these fundamental teachings are such
that if they are established in any society,
the people who abide by them will not
only attain the pleasure of God, but will
also be those who spread love, afection
and brotherhood.
According to my beliefs as a Muslim,
Allah the Almighty sent the Holy
Prophet Muhammad
sa
for the reforma-
tion of the entire world and to instil these
paramount objectives amongst mankind.
In his eforts to reform, he preached this
Divine message constantly and would
strive endlessly, day and night. His eforts
were not limited to preaching but rather
each and every night he would bow down
before His Lord in prayer, weeping with
such anguish and heartache that the
place where he prostrated would become
submerged in tears.
What was it that the Holy Prophet
sa

prayed for so earnestly? It was not for his
personal wealth or power. It was not to
usurp any government or administration.
Rather, his every prayer was consumed by
utter torment beseeching His Lord that
why people were not spiritually and mor-
ally reforming. Why did they refuse to
abandon their cruelties? Why were they
unwilling to forsake wrongdoing and
evil? And because of all of this why were
they throwing themselves into an abyss of
destruction? Te Holy Prophets
sa
agony
and anguish was so deep and his state of
anxiety and despair was so great, that in
the Quran Allah addressed him directly,
asking if he would grieve himself to death
because they did not listen or heed his
message.
[1]
However, God Almighty is He who lis-
tens to earnest and heartfelt prayers and
so he answered those prayers of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad
sa
. History testifes
to the fact that those very people who
were ignorant and uncivilised, drunk-
ards, fornicators, gamblers, thieves and
involved in all types of vices, came to
rid themselves of all of these evils and
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY
His eforts were not limited
to preaching but rather each
and every night he would
bow down before His Lord
in prayer, weeping with
such anguish and heartache
that the place where he
prostrated would become
submerged in tears.
as being a mercy for all mankind was
entirely justifed.
They acknowledged that from every
organ, every pore and every fbre of his
body gushed forth a spring of mercy and
compassion for humanity. Tey openly
afrmed that the Holy Prophets
sa
every
act was an example of the very highest
standards of mercy and proved the truth-
fulness of the Word of God. In light of
these compassionate teachings one ques-
tion or allegation could potentially be
raised, and indeed, is regularly invoked
by some non-Muslims. Te allegation is
that if Islam does teach Muslims to show
love and sympathy towards others and if
the Holy Prophet
sa
truly was the mercy
for all of mankind, then why were reli-
gious wars fought? To understand this
question you must be acquainted with
the true early history of Islam and keep
in mind two important points.
Firstly, history testifes to the fact, which
even impartial non-Muslim orientalists
recognise, that in the early years after
the Holy Prophet
sa
made his claim, he
and his followers were subjected to the
most barbaric and horrifc persecution
in Makkah by those who were either
not religious or were idol worshippers.
Indeed many companions of the Holy
Prophet
sa
including men, women and
children, lost their lives. To give just one
example of the brutal nature of the oppo-
sition: Tere were instances of Muslim
women having each of their legs tied to
a diferent camel and then the camels
were made to run in opposing directions,
so that the bodies of the Muslim ladies
were literally wrenched apart and split
asunder into two pieces.
In fact, there is a very long list of atroc-
ities that occurred but I am unable to
mention them all here. Yet, despite
enduring such inhumane and savage cru-
elty the Muslims did not seek any form
of revenge, either openly or in secret.
Rather, after years of facing sustained and
bitter persecution the Holy Prophet
sa
and
most of his companions migrated from
Makkah. Some of the Muslims went to
live in the city of Madinah, whilst some
travelled to other places. In Madinah,
where the Holy Prophet
sa
migrated, a
large number of people had come to
accept Islam. However the disbelievers
of Makkah could not bear to see that the
Muslims were now living peacefully and
had become well settled.
Tus, just 18 months after migration they
attacked the Muslims of Madinah with
an army of 1000 extremely well equipped
the truth that when the Holy Prophet
sa

gained victory over the sworn enemies of
Islam, who in the past had left no stone
unturned in their eforts to destroy the
religion, he responded with peace and
forgiveness by saying to them:
I have no personal enmity towards you. I do
not wish to take any revenge for the cruelties
and persecution that you inficted upon us in
the past. As long as you guarantee that you
will live peacefully you are free to remain
in Makkah. You will not be treated cruelly
or unjustly as a result of your religious dif-
ferences or beliefs.
When the countless enemies of Islam
observed this incomparable example of
benevolence, they had no option but to
acknowledge it. To give just one exam-
ple: Upon seeing the conduct of the Holy
Prophet
sa
an opponent of Islam called
Iqrama who had committed monu-
mental cruelties against the Muslims,
instinctively said that only a person who
was truly from God and whose love for
mankind was peerless could act in such
a compassionate way. Seeing the exam-
ple of the Holy Prophet
sa
those enemies
of Islam came to repeatedly and openly
proclaim that the law revealed to him
was unquestionably true and that the
title the Quran had conferred upon him
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY
Tey acknowledged that from
every organ, every pore and
every fbre of his body gushed
forth a spring of mercy and
compassion for humanity.
had wished to destroy the peace of the
world. Where on the one hand this was
a victory for Islam, it was also a timeless
triumph for every person who desires for
peace to be established in the world. It
was a victory for every person who desires
for human values to always be preserved
and it was a victory for all people who
believe religion to be a force for good
and for establishing peace in the world.
During the life of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad
sa
and during the respective
eras of his four Khalifas (the Rightly
Guided Successors), history testifies
to the fact that the wars fought by the
Muslims were only fought to end cruelty
and to establish peace in the world. Tey
were never fought as a means of infict-
ing cruelty, injustice or terrorism. When
the era of the Khilafat of the Rightly
Guided Successors came to an end, in
its place a form of monarchy was estab-
lished. Regrettably, during that era the
majority of wars were fought for politi-
cal or worldly reasons. However, it must
be made clear that those wars fought to
expand kingdoms and to increase power
were not in any way fought in accordance
with the teachings of Islam as taught by
the Holy Quran.
In a similar vein, the actions of Muslim
governments or opposition rebel groups
today cannot be said to refect or repre-
sent the teachings of Islam in any shape
or form. I say without any hesitation that
the acts of certain extremist Muslims
today, which they conduct in the name of
Islam, are actually only serving to defame
Islam and religion itself. If people fol-
low such a religious ideology it is quite
clear that religion or God cannot play a
positive role in establishing peace in the
world. Indeed, we would have to admit
that those people who say that religion
has been a cause of spreading disorder
in the world have been proved correct.
However, my faith in my religion
increases when I read the prophecies and
guidance of the Quran and of the Holy
Prophet
sa
about the latter days. Both the
Quran and the Holy Prophet
sa
proph-
esied that a time would come when
Muslims would forget the true teach-
ings of Islam and would not follow the
Quran. Tey further prophesied that
those Muslims, who would call them-
selves religious clerics and leaders, would
in reality be the source of strife, corrup-
tion and disorder. Tis is exactly what we
are witnessing today. As I have said when
I observe all of this, my faith does not
diminish but rather increases.
soldiers. In comparison the Muslim army
was made up of just 300 people bearing
almost no weaponry; just a handful of
swords and arrows. If the relative merits
of the two armies is assessed then there
is no doubt that the best option for the
Muslims would have been to retreat and
save themselves, rather than to stand up
and defend themselves. However, at that
time, Allah the Almighty fnally com-
manded the Holy Prophet
sa
to fght back.
Tis is mentioned in Chapter 22, Verses
40-41 of the Quran, where Allah says:
Permission to fght is given to those against
whom war is made, because they have been
wronged and Allah indeed has power to
help them Tose who have been driven
out from their homes unjustly only because
they said, Our Lord is Allah And if
Allah did not repel some men by means of
others, there would surely have been pulled
down cloisters and churches and synagogues
and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is
oft commemorated. And Allah will surely
help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed
Powerful, Mighty
From these verses it becomes clear that
when those who had been remorselessly
targeted were given permission to fght
it was given in order to not only defend
themselves but in order to safeguard all
religions. And so the second reason per-
mission for war was granted was that if
the oppressors had not been forcefully
repelled then the enemies of religion
would not have let Christians live in
peace, nor Jews, nor Muslims and nor the
people of any other religion. Te truth
was that these opponents of Islam wished
to eliminate all peace-loving people and
instead engulf the world in strife and dis-
order for their own personal gains.
It was upon this background that Allah
told the Muslims to not be afraid and
that the powerful Makkan army would
be defeated because Allahs Help was
with the Muslims. History testifes to
the fact that with the Help of God, the
few and entirely ill equipped Muslims
were able to defeat their opponents who
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY
Tere were instances of
Muslim women having each
of their legs tied to a diferent
camel and then the camels
were made to run in opposing
directions, so that the bodies
of the Muslim ladies were
literally wrenched apart and
split asunder into two pieces.
the person who was to be sent by God
Almighty has come in the person of our
Communitys Founder, Hazrat Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad
as
of Qadian. We fur-
ther believe that the task of reviving
Islam, which was started by the Promised
Messiah
as
, is continuing today through
the institution of Khilafat that is the
system of spiritual succession. Te truth
of the Promised Messiah
as
was proved
through Gods help and support and
countless Divine signs in his favour.
One of the signs was an increase in
earthquakes and other natural disasters
resulting from the fact that mankind had
forgotten its Creator and because of the
widespread disorder and strife in the
world. History proves that the numbers
of natural disasters in the past century
has exceeded those of previous centu-
ries. Another sign was a prophecy by
as
relating to the
downfall of the Tsar of Russia. It was
prophesied that due to the Tsars bru-
talities, he would be stripped of his title
and reign. As history shows, this also
came true. A third prophecy was about
the world wars. We have witnessed two
World Wars. If we do not mend our ways
and recognise our Creator we will wit-
ness more of such wars and their horrifc
consequences. All these prophecies prove
that he was a warner from God sent to
reform man and bring him towards the
right path.
Further, it is quite clear that without the
help of God, a claimant from a small and
remote village in India could not have
become renowned throughout the world.
And following his demise, without Gods
help he could not have left behind such a
fourishing Community. A Community
which, due to being frmly attached to
the institution of Khilafat, was further-
ing his mission throughout the world,
which was to develop a relationship
between mankind and God Almighty
and of fulflling the rights of mankind
whilst upholding the very highest stand-
ards of justice. Te Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community has very limited resources
and so without Gods Help its message
could not have spread to the corners of
the world.
Thus, where on the one hand this all
proves the existence of God, on the other
it shows that the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community has been frmly blessed with
Divine help and support. Today, it is the
members of the Ahmadiyya Community
who are making great fnancial sacri-
fces in an efort to help others and are
even sacrifcing their lives in an efort
I do not become frustrated and nor do
I lose hope, because where the Quran
and the Holy Prophet
sa
prophesied about
the dire state of todays world, they also
gave glad tidings that for sake of reviv-
ing true Islam, a person would be sent
from amongst the Muslims who would
be the Promised Messiah and the Imam
Mahdi (the Guided One). He would be
sent to end all religious wars, and at every
level of society would transform all forms
of cruelty into peace and harmony. He
would work tirelessly to fulfl these noble
objectives and would infuse the true spirit
of Islam amongst his followers. Tat true
spirit has been outlined in the following
verse of the Quran where it says:
O ye who believe! Be steadfast in the cause
of Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let
not a peoples enmity incite you to act other-
wise than with justice. Be always just, that
is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah.
Allah is aware of what you do.
[2]
Tus, this verse outlines the necessity for
always being fair and just. Te standard
of justice required is that even if you have
to testify against yourself, your parents or
your loved ones, you must do so
[3]
with-
out hesitation, because such justice is a
guarantor for establishing peace. Tis is
the standard that Allah the Almighty has
taught in the Quran; but the question is
whether such a high standard can ever
really be achieved? As I mentioned ear-
lier, the Quran and the Holy Prophet
sa

prophesied that a time of disorder, chaos
and corruption would befall the world
and we can see with our own eyes the
way in which this has been fulflled to the
letter. Indeed, it is a great proof that the
truthful Word of God has been clearly
manifested. In the same way, along with
the revival of the faith, which is to occur
through the Promised Messiah and
Mahdi, this perfect standard of justice
will also be established in the world
whereby the enmity of a nation will not
prove an obstacle in the establishment
of justice.
We, Ahmadi Muslims, are fortunate that
we not only have faith in these prophe-
cies, but we also have a frm belief that
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY
Both the Quran and the
Holy Prophet
sa
prophesied
that a time would come when
Muslims would forget the
true teachings of Islam and
would not follow the Quran.
result of political games and ambitions
and the fact that peoples and nations are
seeking to assert their superiority over
one another. Tus, it is the urgent need
of the time that all people and all nations
pay heed to this; otherwise the world
stands on the brink of an unimaginable
destruction. Some of the destruction we
see in the world today is self-inficted,
whilst some is due to the horrifc conse-
quences of natural disasters.
And so in order to protect ourselves and
to save mankind we need to turn towards
God Almighty and we need to attach
ourselves to the Living God Who did not
forsake the Prophet Moses
as
and his peo-
ple and nor did He forsake the Prophet
Jesus
as
and his disciples. Nor have true
Muslims been deprived from attaining
the blessings of God and seeing their
prayers accepted.

Tese are not old stories or myths of the
past but in fact God is an Ever-Living
God who is alive today. Te Promised
Messiah
as
has taught us that God contin-
ues to speak to His righteous people and
shows them His true signs. Hence, it is
our duty to pay heed to the words of the
Reformer of the Age and recognise our
God in the true spirit. We bear witness
that God did show His signs through
as
and continues to
do so today.
At the end, I would like to say that
instead of laying the blame for our mis-
takes upon God and upon our religions,
we should take a look in the mirror and
assess our own shortcomings.
With these words, I would like to once
again thank all of the guests for taking
the time to come and listen to what I
have said today. Tank you very much.
ENDNOTES & REFERENCES
1. Te Holy Quran, Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 7.
2. Te Holy Quran, Surah Al-Taubah, Verse 9.
3. Te Holy Quran, Surah Ya Sin, Verse 36.
to establish and maintain peace in the
world. In some countries our Community
is severely persecuted and the most hor-
rifc cruelties are perpetrated against us,
but we do not react or retaliate in any way
through which the peace of society could
be put at any risk.
Tis is undoubtedly because we act upon
the Divine teachings of the Quran which
were perfectly outlined and explained by
the Founder of our Community. And so
it is my prayer that the world comes to
understand the need of the time. I hope
and pray that we, who are the representa-
tives of diferent faiths and religions, and
who have gathered here today to particu-
larly demonstrate these loving teachings,
all strive towards worshipping the One
God, by treating His Creation with jus-
tice and by fulflling their due rights.
Certainly, these are the original teach-
ings of all religions.
We should utilise all of our resources and
capabilities to foster a better society, to
help Gods Creation and to spread love,
afection and peace at every level. Te
urgent and critical need of the world
today is to establish peace and faith in
God. If the world understood this real-
ity then all countries, whether large or
small, would not, in the name of defence
spending, allocate millions and billions
of dollars to expand their military capa-
bilities. Rather, they would spend that
wealth to feed the hungry, to provide
universal education and to improve the
living standards of the developing world.
If we assess todays world in a fair man-
ner then we must accept that even the
economies of the developed world have
become uncertain and unstable. The
spending power of the members of the
public has vastly diminished. Even here
in the United Kingdom interviews are
shown on television where it is said that
in the past families used to be able to
eat out regularly, but never mind eating
out, now they are even forced to go hun-
gry at home on occasions. It is simply
not possible for them to eat and live as
comfortably as before and the reason for
this is that countries are prioritising their
defence and military budgets over their
social welfare budgets. Tere is a greater
desire to send armies to foreign coun-
tries thousands of miles away and to send
weapons rather than paying attention to
alleviating the problems on ones own
doorstep and of solving the problems of
a nations own people.
Tus, disorder is not being spread by reli-
gion, but it is actually being spread as a
His Holiness concluded the Conference
by leading in silent prayer.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY
MESSAGE FROM
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Message from Her Majesty the
Queen, Supreme Governor of
the Church of England, sent in
reply to letter from the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Association UK.
Te Queen was pleased to receive
your kind message sent on behalf of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association
UK on the occasion of the Conference
of World Religions being held today
at Guildhall as part of your Centenary
celebrations. Her Majesty was interested
to learn of the aims of the conference
and appreciates your thoughtfulness in
writing as you did. In return the Queen
sends her best wishes to you all for a most
successful and memorable gathering.
Her Majesty,
Queen Elizabeth II
Te Conference of World Religions
God in the 21st Century

Dignitaries & Leading
World Activists
Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP
Te Attorney General for England
and Wales
Te Right Honourable Dominic Grieve QC
MP became a Member of Parliament (MP)
from Beaconsfeld in 1997 and currently
serves as the Attorney General for England
and Whales, thereby serving as the Chief
Legal Advisor of the Crown and its gov-
ernment. He is currently President of the
Franco-British Society, Vice-Chairman of
the Franco-British Council, and he is also
a Deputy Church Warden. He is a staunch
defender of human rights and freedom of
religion.
Your Holiness, ladies and gentlemen,
distinguished guests, Assalamo Alaikum!
It gives me great pleasure to come here
this evening. I dont think I can think
of a more apt location for this interfaith
conference looking forward to the 21
st

century, then we should meet in a great
hall of merchants the very people who
took Britain, England and then Britain,
outwardly looking towards the rest of the
world, and have had the miraculous con-
sequence of bringing all of you together
in this place again this evening.
Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP
(The Attorney General for England and Wales)
I dont think I can think of
a more apt location for this
interfaith conference looking
forward to the 21st century,
then we should meet in a
great hall of merchants...
Famous Guildhall in London, venue
for the historic conference.
Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0
background, the dialogue which has been
so persistently and constantly engaged
by the community has provided an envi-
ronment in which we can meet and talk
and discuss these matters. Secure in the
knowledge for those of us who do have
faith, that the faith that we promote may
be a beneft to all, and for those who do
not, the realisation that those of faith
have something to contribute as well.
So, on that note, I will bring my remarks
to an end. But I am conscious that the
Prime Minister, in the knowledge that
this was taking place this evening, sent
a message to you all as delegates, which
he has asked me to read out and which I
will do. He said:
I send my sincere greetings to the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community as you come together
with faiths from around the world to unite
for social and international peace. I recog-
nise the great work you do here in Britain
from interfaith events across the country to
helping communities who have been afected
by the recent foods. And, today highlights
the signifcant work you do for interfaith
relations and peace overseas.
Im delighted that the British Government
is represented today and will join His
Holiness and faith leaders and politicians
from around the world to discuss how faiths
can come together to help bring about peace.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my
wish as well. Tank you very much!
Its a tribute to them; in a sense that
they were people of broad vision even if
we have no doubt that they were also in
part motivated by materialist instincts.
But also that in promoting their ideas
they were broad minded and intended
towards inclusion. It is after all a City
of London which in the 19th century
became the great place where Jews -
some of my Jewish forebears and after
them others of other religious groups
other than Christian - were able to fnd
their feet to succeed in British society
and to take themselves forwards and
their families in participating in our
national life.

Here we are this evening discussing
faith and on an interfaith basis. I have
no doubt in my mind that thats a very
important thing for us to do. One thing
I discovered a long time ago as a person
of Christian faith is that it always seemed
to me that it is very much easier for
somebody who has faith to understand
people of other faiths, than it is for those
who have no faith at all. So the dialogue
on which we are going to embark this
evening strikes me as being an especially
important one. We also have to recognise,
of course, that we live in a society where
people may choose to have no faith at all.
Indeed, the right of individual conscience
lies at the very fundamental base of eve-
rything which I think identifes which we
would now call British values a right
to manifest your religion, or your lack
of it, in peace, and to do so by personal
choice without coercion of any kind.
And that of course is one of the duties
which the state has in upholding, and
one which the present government and
its predecessors put at the very heart of
their government agenda. So for those
reasons I would like once again, and I
have done it on many occasions before,
to thank your Holiness and the Ahmadi
community for the astonishing contri-
bution which you make to our national
life, because as I know in my own con-
stituency and all of you in this hall this
evening know irrespective of your faith
POLITICAL FIGURES & LEADING WORLD ACTIVISTS
AT CONFERENCE OF WORLD RELIGIONS
One thing I discovered a long time ago as a person of Christian
faith is that it always seemed to me that it is very much
easier for somebody who has faith to understand people of
other faiths, than it is for those who have no faith at all.
I send my sincere greetings to the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community as you come together with faiths from
around the world to unite for social and international
peace. I recognise the great work you do here in Britain
from interfaith events across the country to helping
communities who have been afected by the recent
foods. And, today highlights the signifcant work you
do for interfaith relations and peace overseas.
We are all indeed reminded that
Almighty Allah has been sending his
noble prophets and messengers into the
world, with messages promoting peace,
orderliness, mutual respect, and harmo-
nious co-existence among people of all
races, creeds, and religions.
In Ghana, this harmonious co-existence
is demonstrated in many aspects of life
including within my own extended fam-
ily, where both Muslims and Christian
relatives live together in love and peace.
Journey eforts deep in religious toler-
ance and harmony have also resulted in
parliament passing an act establishing
a National Peace Council, which is an
umbrella organisation of eminent reli-
gious leaders from various faiths. Te
National Peace Council has been instru-
mental in promoting mutual respect and
peaceful co-existence amongst all our cit-
izens. In fact, the stature and importance
of this council became most evident
when the results of the last elections
were challenged in court, and tensions
rose high. It played a key role in reduc-
ing tensions and keeping Ghanaians of
diferent religions and political groups
united in peace.
However, we are all aware that all around
the world, religious bigotry, intolerance
and hatred, are causing major problems
for millions of people. Tis is why I con-
sider this Conference of World Religions
to be so important, so timely, and truly
relevant, especially as we seek to mobi-
lise all the world religions to say no to
intolerance, fanaticism and terrorism in
the name of religion.
Te conference is a worthy efort that
will surely bring people of diferent reli-
gions together, and promote peace in our
world today. I wish to congratulate the
world leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community for his wisdom in organis-
ing such a worthy conference. I wish you
every success in your deliberations. Tank
you so much!
HE Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo
Ghanaian High Commissioner to UK
His Excellency, Professor Kwaku Danso-
Boafo, Ghanaian High Commissioner,
read a special message from the President
of Ghana, His Excellency, John Dramani
Mahama. Ghana is a country of inspira-
tional tolerance and respect in matters of
faith and is a leading light in Africa on the
promotion of religious peace.
His Holiness, honourable leaders in
Government and Politics, Excellencies,
Members of the Diplomatic Court, dis-
tinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I am honoured to bring you greetings
from His Excellency, John Dramani
Mahama, President of the Republic of
Ghana who also sends His sincere
apologies for his inability to join you at
this timely and relevant Conference of
World Religions. Here is the Presidents
brief message:
Just this past September, the people of
my nation Ghana, were badly shaken,
when one of our most distinguished
citizens was killed during the terrorists
siege of the Westgate shopping mall
in Nairobi, Kenya. Professor Kofi
Ayuno, a renowned poet, diplomat,
academic statesman had his life cut
short by religious fanatics. Tese kill-
ers discarded Islams abiding message
of peace and went on a daily rampage
that claimed the lives of several people
including Muslims. Tis event and occa-
sion brought home to Ghanaians and
indeed people all around the world the
sad reality of the devastating impact of
the religious intolerance, fanaticism and
terrorism in our world today. But this
should not be the case.
HE Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo
(Ghanaian High Commissioner to UK)
Te conference is a worthy
efort that will surely bring
people of diferent religions
together, and promote
peace in our world today.
A little more than seven months ago I
was privileged to receive a humanitar-
ian award at your annual convention in
America, in Pennsylvanias capital city.
And a year before that, I had the great
honour of meeting His Holiness for the
frst time in Americas capital city, and
now tonight, I am truly grateful and
delighted to have the opportunity once
again to join you in Great Britains capi-
tal, in a joyful celebration of tolerance
and freedom, which is the hallmark of
your community and its people. Simply
stated, you, the Ahmadiyya Community,
are living proof that religion can indeed
be a true friend of peace, understanding,
and liberty.
Yes, it is true that in all too many times
and places, religion has been used to fuel
humanitys darkest impulses. We can just
think of the wars raged right here on this
continent centuries ago in the name of
religion. Or we can think of the witch-
hunts of early America, or the excuses the
forces of religion ofered for racial oppres-
sion, and we can think of the horrors of
modern terrorism that violent practition-
ers of religious extremism have unleashed.
But this undeniable record of violence
and repression in religions name is no
excuse for driving religion from society.
And yet, nearly a century ago when the
Ahmadiyya Community arrived here in
London, parts of the world began to do
exactly that. In many countries a terrible
experiment was unleashed on human-
ity the silencing of religion as a truly
autonomous voice of conscience, inde-
pendent of government; it was replaced
with the brute force of all-powerful gov-
ernments. Regimes like Nazi Germany,
despotisms like Soviet Russia, driven
by ruthless ideologies like Fascism and
Communism that recognised no limits of
any kind on the power of the state and its
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
Vice Chair of the United States
Commission on International
Religious Freedom
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett is the Vice
Chair of the United States Commission
on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF). Dr. Lantos Swett established
the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights
and Justice in 2008 and served as its
President and Chief Executive Ofcer. Te
Foundation is a distinguished and respected
voice on many key human rights concerns.
As Vice Chair of USCIRF, an independ-
ent bipartisan of US federal government
commission, Dr. Lantos Swett governs the
organisation which is the frst of its kind
in the world dedicated to defending the
universal right to freedom of religion or
belief. USCIRF analyses issues of freedom
of religion violations and makes policy rec-
ommendations to the President, Secretary
of State and Congress.
Good evening! I must say that this is
the third opportunity I have had to
be with a gathering of the Ahmadiyya
Community, and each time I feel uplifted
and moved by the marvellous, marvellous
spirit amongst this people, and I sense
that same spirit here today, and I am so
delighted to be here.
I want to thank you for that kind
introduction. It truly is an honour and
privilege to be here with all of you this
evening, as we celebrate the 100
th
anni-
versary of the presence of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community in the United
Kingdom.
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
(Vice Chair of the United States Commission
on International Religious Freedom)
But this undeniable record of violence and repression
in religions name is no excuse for driving religion
from society. And yet, nearly a century ago when
the Ahmadiyya Community arrived here in London,
parts of the world began to do exactly that.
which enshrines the international com-
munitys commitment to freedom of
religion. Te nation of Pakistan, which
was an original signatory, was repre-
sented by Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, an
Ahmadiyya Muslim, who signed the uni-
versal declaration on behalf of Pakistan.
Sadly, one cannot help but wonder what
Mr Khans fate would be if he were alive
and living in Pakistan today.
In standing up for peace and embrac-
ing the dictum of Love For All, Hatred
For None, the Ahmadiyya community
was right, and is right; yes, religion
can assume toxic forms, but the way to
defeat religious ideas that harm, is not
by shutting down all religious ideas, but
by embracing those that heal. Te way
to combat expressions of faith that dis-
honour some people is by afrming those
that honour all people, and the way to
counter the religious extremism of some
is by afrming religious freedom for all.
And as we move through the 21
st
cen-
tury, this afrmation is the job of the
commission on which I serve. Our job
is to stand for the right of every person
and a group, to choose what to believe or
not to believe, and practise their beliefs
openly, peacefully, and in accordance
with their conscience. And this precious
birth right, this precious liberty is the
birth right of everyone in this room. You,
who stand for tolerance and freedom for
others must have someone standing for
you, and speaking for myself and for
rulers. As a result, during the last century,
more people died at the hands of these
brutal systems than at the hands of all
the religions combined in centuries past.
But, at the same time, looking back at the
20
th
century we also see something beau-
tiful and precious. We see brave human
beings imbued by their religious teach-
ings rising up and becoming a light in
the darkness, and a witness for human
rights and dignity. We see in America
in the mid-20
th
century, a mighty civil
rights movement, rising from the coun-
trys churches, challenging racial tyranny
and its supporters, including those within
the church. It was these churches that
empowered Martin Luther King Jr. and
his generation to press on and achieve
justice and equality, under the law. We
see in India, right before Americas civil
rights revolution, the Hindu philosophy
of Satyagraha, or non-violent civil diso-
bedience, galvanising Mahatma Ghandi
to bring independence to his country. We
see across eastern Europe and the Soviet
Empire, starting in the 1980s, Pope John
Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church,
sowing the seeds for rending the iron
curtain, tearing down the Berlin wall,
dissolving the Soviet Union, and help-
ing free hundreds of millions of people.
We see in South Africa the collapse of
its apartheid system, thanks not only to
Nelson Mandela, but to a generation of
church leaders who spoke truth to their
society including to other church leaders.
And when apartheid fell, it was people
of faith who helped lead the drive for
national reconciliation, and embrace and
receive forgiveness for the misdeeds of
the past. And yes, looking back on the
20
th
century, we see you, the Ahmadiyya
Community, standing not just for your-
selves, but for all of humanity, against
humanitys oppressors.
My colleague from USCIRF who is here
with me tonight, Professor Mary Ann
Glendon, shared with me a remark-
able story about the adoption of the
universal declaration of human rights,
You, who stand for tolerance and freedom for others
must have someone standing for you, and speaking for
myself and for my colleagues on the commission, we
continue to stand with you and for you today.
In standing up for peace and embracing the dictum of Love
For All, Hatred For None, the Ahmadiyya community
was right, and is right; yes, religion can assume toxic
forms, but the way to defeat religious ideas that harm, is
not by shutting down all religious ideas, but by embracing
those that heal. Te way to combat expressions of faith that
dishonour some people is by afrming those that honour
all people, and the way to counter the religious extremism
of some is by afrming religious freedom for all.
individually, but the world around us.
A hundred and ffty years ago, a belea-
guered American president seeing his
country torn apart by a dreadful civil war,
delivered an unforgettable speech that we
call the Gettysburg Address. And if you
ask any American school child where
the phrase government of the people,
by the people, and for the people comes
from, they will eagerly say but of course,
Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg
Address. But, in fact, this famous
phrase has a much older patrimony. John
Wyclife, a Catholic priest in England,
many, many hundreds of years ago,
undertook and was inspired to under-
take the translation of the Bible from its
original Latin Vulgate into the common
vernacular of the people, believing call to
make the word of God available to each
and every person. When he had fnished
this great task for which he was perse-
cuted and hounded, he wrote something
very interesting in the fyleaf of that frst
translation. He wrote the following: Te
translation is complete and shall make
possible government of the people, by the
people, and for the people. Now, I cant
be completely sure what he meant by that,
but I like to think that what he meant
when he wrote those words, is that when
individuals are empowered, to connect
to the divine and the transcendent for
themselves, it not only has the power to
transform their lives spiritually, but that
higher vision of who they are and what
they may become, imbues them also with
the desire to improve and to ennoble the
present world in which we live. May we
all redouble our eforts to do just that.
Tank you!
my colleagues on the commission, we
continue to stand with you and for you
today. We stand against any person or
government, anywhere in the world, from
Pakistan to Indonesia to Saudi Arabia,
who refuses to recognise your sacred
right to be Ahmadi Muslims. We, like
you, stand for tolerance, and freedom.
We, like you, stand for a world where
people of all backgrounds and beliefs
can come together and learn from each
other. To learn implies listening, and to
listen implies respect and tolerance. I
am grateful indeed that the Ahmadiyya
Community is about respect for our fel-
low human beings, and toleration of their
right to express their views openly and
candidly, and to see those views discussed
in a civil and fair-minded way.
Today, in the 21
st
century, thanks to the
internet, more people than ever are being
confronted by the full range of thought
and opinion which characterises the
human family. In this new world, respect
and tolerance are not optional, but criti-
cal. Te alternative is more confict and
strife, more violence and war, and more
disruption and despair. In other words,
if we want a more peaceful, prosperous,
stable world, we must stand for freedom.
To supress freedom in the name of stabil-
ity is to create the conditions that make
stability impossible. Indeed, countries
like Pakistan, which suppress or toler-
ate the suppression of groups like the
Ahmadiyya, provide fertile ground for
more poverty and insecurity, more war
and terror, and more radical movements
and activities. Clearly the struggle for
religious freedom remains an uphill one.
But the good news is that you and I are
not alone. Around the world, the calls
for the protection of this right are being
amplifed as never before, they are being
heard across countries and continents,
the message they send is clear: religious
freedom matters and must be protected.
It is time for governments around the
world to hear and heed this message.
I would like to close my remarks today
with an anecdote that I think illustrates
the profound possibility that religion
has to transform not only our lives
Today, in the 21st century, thanks to the internet, more
people than ever are being confronted by the full range of
thought and opinion which characterises the human family.
A hundred and ffty years ago, a beleaguered American
president seeing his country torn apart by a dreadful civil
war, delivered an unforgettable speech that we call the
Gettysburg Address. And if you ask any American school child
where the phrase government of the people, by the people,
and for the people comes from, they will eagerly say but of
course, Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address.
look and seem as if we were only repre-
senting that one group. So we set about
meeting the diferent religious communi-
ties in the UK and the more difcult task
of seeking to persuade them to resource
and fnance a group within parliament
that would raise awareness of this human
right.
But Im incredibly thankful that the
Ahmadiyya Community has indeed
come on board with this work and works
alongside Sikhs, Hindus, other Muslims,
Christians and the British Humanist
Association in order for us to raise the
profle of this human right.
But, during this time when I have looked
at the Ahmadiyya Community, I would
like to say that they have known per-
secution, but in fact it is all too true to
say that they know persecution. The
situation from Masud Ahmad arrested
in November in Pakistan, the situation
not long ago for Ummad Farooq who
was shot in Pakistan and was a student
actually here in Sunderland in the UK,
and although we are proud in the UK
to ofer asylum to those who have to
fee religious persecution, our work is
aimed at ensuring that you can reside in
the countries that you choose to reside
in, and freely practise your beliefs. I am
incredibly grateful for the support the
community gives to the work; we are
parliamentarians and we are seeking to
work alongside the government to be that
helpful pressure to prick the conscience
of governments and we are looking to
work, not only in the UK, but to build
links with politicians in all jurisdictions
who wish to fght for that freedom, and
I do hope that one day your support will
mean that your community can live in
the country of your choice. Tank you
so much for your hospitality.
Baroness Berridge
Chair of the UK All Party
Parliamentary Group for International
Religious Freedom
Baroness Berridge is the Chair of the UK
All Party Parliamentary Group in the
United Kingdom on International Religious
Freedom. Baroness Berridge of the Vale of
Catmose in the county of Rutland, joined
the House of Lords in 2011 and she has a
keen interest in foreign afairs and multi-
culturalism. She has served as a trustee and
an Executive Director of the Conservative
Christian Fellowship (CCF) and as part
of the advisory council of the Foundation
for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle
East. In July 2013, Baroness Berridge
was elected as Chair of the new All Party
Parliamentary Group on International
Religious Freedom or Belief, which works
to raise awareness and the profle of inter-
national religious freedom issues as a human
right.
Good evening your Holiness, ladies and
gentlemen. I bring just brief thanks this
evening to the Ahmadiyya Community.
When we founded this All Party
Parliamentary Group, just nearly two
years ago now, I knew very little of your
community. But when we were founding
a group like this we needed parliamentar-
ians, who are in the House of Commons
and House of Lords, from all the difer-
ent political parties. But, of course, to run
a group like this we need the support of
those who are in the World Council of
Religions, and those who hold no reli-
gion at all. We felt very much that as we
founded the group, that if we use just the
services of one particular religious group
who were keen to support us, we would
Baroness Berridge
(Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary
Group for International Religious Freedom)
But Im incredibly thankful that the Ahmadiyya
Community has indeed come on board with this work
and works alongside Sikhs, Hindus, other Muslims,
Christians and the British Humanist Association in
order for us to raise the profle of this human right.
commitment, is one of the highest forms
of public service, and Id like to take this
opportunity to pay tribute to a politician
from your community. You refer to him
as Lord Tariq Ahmad, I refer to him as
Tariq Bhai. He is a huge ambassador, not
just for your community, but for so many
other faiths in this country and, Tariq
Bhai, your loyalty and commitment is
something that I value very dearly, thank
you very much.
I think in my introduction it was said
that I famously once said that this gov-
ernment would do God, and I think
what prompted me to say that were the
famous words of the last Archbishop of
Canterbury when he said that unfortu-
nately religion and faith was being seen
as the preserve of minorities, foreign-
ers, and oddities. Now I am not sure
whether I could describe people in this
room as minorities, foreigners, or oddi-
ties, but I certainly felt that faith was not
being given its proper place in the pub-
lic sphere. Some of you may recall those
famous words of Alistair Campbell when
he said we do not do God, and I there-
fore felt that we needed to show a step
change in that direction and say that we
did do God, and that this government
would do God. And what I meant by that
ladies and gentlemen, is that we would do
things diferently in three ways; that frst
of all we would support people in their
right to follow a faith, and remember that
nearly, even in the last census, that nearly
70 percent of people in Britain said that
they had an afliation with a faith, with
a religion. Tat secondly, we would har-
ness the good deeds that faith groups do
exemplify, by the selfess contribution of
the Ahmadi Community, and, as I have
said on numerous occasions, people who
Rt Hon Baroness Warsi
Senior Minister of State at the Foreign
and Commonwealth Ofce and the
Department for Communities and Local
Government.
Baroness Warsi is a conservative member
of the House of Lords. Prior to her min-
isterial appointment she was Co-Chair
of the Conservative party (2010-2012)
and Minister without Portfolio. She is the
frst Muslim to serve in a British Cabinet.
Baroness Warsi is passionate advocate of
religious freedom and the role religion can
play within societies and in an address to
Anglican Bishops Conference in 2010, she
famously declared that governments should
do God. Baroness Warsi remains a keen
advocate for interfaith peace and has spoken
regularly in favour of religion as a powerful
driver for social cohesion.
Your Holiness, my lords, ladies and
gentlemen, good evening, and Assalamo
Alaikum. It is an honour to speak before
such an illustrious audience in such
prestigious surroundings here at the
Conference of World Religions, and it
is a testament to the openness and the
pragmatism and the humility of the
Ahmadiyya Community that your fag-
ship global event today is not just about
celebrating your own faith but about cel-
ebrating all faiths, and you only have to
look around Britain to see the huge con-
tribution the Ahmadiyya Community is
making in all walks of life, especially in
relation to charity, and especially in rela-
tion to social action.
And ladies and gentlemen, politics,
if done sincerely, if it is done with
Rt Hon Baroness Warsi
(Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and
Commonwealth Ofce and the Department
for Communities and Local Government)
I think in my introduction it was said that I famously
once said that this government would do God, and I
think what prompted me to say that were the famous
words of the last Archbishop of Canterbury when he said
that unfortunately religion and faith was being seen as
the preserve of minorities, foreigners, and oddities.
do God inevitably then do good, and
you only have to look at the number of
volunteering hours and the amount of
charitable giving within faith communi-
ties to see how true that is. And thirdly,
that we would tackle the intolerance, the
unacceptable intolerance that people of
faith face both in this country but also
overseas, and therefore in my interna-
tional role as minister at the Foreign and
Commonwealth Ofce, I made freedom
of religion and belief a personal priority
in the human rights brief.
But I felt that we needed to go further
than that, and when we talk about free-
dom of religion and belief, I felt that
we needed to explain what that meant;
it meant people having the freedom to
have a faith, to be able to manifest that
faith, to be able to change that faith, to be
able to show that they can have no faith
and to be protected and promoted in that
belief. So I think that I was reminded of
that just a few weeks ago when I met the
Ahmadiyya Community at their Keighley
mosque, who said that they wanted the
government to continue to endeavour in
that area.
Ladies and gentlemen, as a politician, I
defne myself by what I stand for, rather
than what I stand against, and in faith it is
also more powerful if you defne yourself
by the expression of your religion rather
than the expression of which religion you
are against. If we defne ourselves by what
we stand for and the values in all faiths
will stand with us, because they are uni-
versal, and if we defne our faiths in a
matter which is open and tolerant and
non-judgmental, and one in which cel-
ebrates the space for others and not just
demanding the space for oneself, and if
we defne ourselves in that positive way,
in the way that so many people here are
defning themselves, then it is actually
the kind of celebration that we are see-
ing here tonight, that we will be able to
see in so many parts around the world.
It has clearly been an important moment
for so many diferent faiths to be able to
come up here and express their solidar-
ity to each other, and their solidarity and
commitment to interfaith work, and its
been a privilege, ladies and gentlemen,
for me to be a part of that. Tank You!
I think it is not so many years ago that
people thought faith had had its day
and was on the way out and so I think
that has proved to be decisively wrong.
Reverend Canon Dr. Anthony Cane
Chichester Cathedral
Coming together like this and
hearing each other from diferent
faith traditions and hearing the
common notion that we all strive
for peace is quite signifcant.
Stein Villumstad
General Secretary, European Council of
Religious Leaders
Te great thing about coming
to something like this is you
get inspired by it. Frankly, I go
away from it with a new sense of
purpose. It has been brilliant.
Peter Quilter
Director, West Surrey Commercial
Banking
I thought it was fantastic. Te idea
that so many diferent religions can
come together under one roof, to
discuss how we can enhance the
faith, and how we can get people
to live together as one; get rid of
all the problems in the world.
HE Joselyn Whiteman
High Commissioner Grenada to UK
Tere is a very, very clear message
to me this evening and that is that
all of the religions; one can sit down
and talk together, and when you hear
them speak about their own particular
religion, the message is very, very
similar, the beliefs are very, very similar
and the one unifying aspect is God.
Councillor Sean Brennan
Mayor of Sutton, Surrey
What I like the most was where the
statement was made about defning
yourself with your own values and
not by what you dont like in other
people. From that, what you get
Te Conference of
World Religions
Guest Comments
is richness of oneness; where one
people, one humanity, one set of
values: care, neighbourliness, care
for one another, and that is what
defnes us all. So in that way, if we
are looking for peace and tranquility
and helping one another out in the
world, I think that is really good.
Commander Mak Chishty
London Metropolitan Police
Tis is good. Tis has to be the way
forward because all of us that believe
in God cannot believe that God would
have intended us to be killing each
other in the name of one religion or
another. Tat is not the future intended
by the Almighty for humanity. So I
strongly support the message of peace.
And one of the things that I have
admired about the Ahmadis, is the
fact that their central tenet is Love
for All, Hatred for None and I think
thats something which I think is a
universal message and the more all
faiths could get together, the better.
Dr. Charles Tannock MEP
Member of European Parliament for
London
I chair the All-Party Parliamentary
Group on International Religious
Freedom; its about how progressive the
community is in terms of protecting
the rights of others and thats what
he was drawing on in his speech. We
are delighted to have the support of
the Community for the work we are
doing. We know that the Community
enjoys religious freedom here but
particularly in Pakistan, Indonesia,
Bangladesh there are many people
sufering so thats we are very pleased
to have them on board with the
parliamentary work to raise the profle
of International Religious Freedom.
The Baroness Berridge
Chariman of the UK APPG on
International Freedom of Religion
I think, as His Holiness said, the
core truths of all the major religious
faiths are universal; love and tolerance
and peace. And I think, actually, there
is so much in the media that would
seek to portray religious people as
at odds with one another. When in
fact I think, as we see here tonight,
the reality is very diferent.
Kay Carter
Secretariat of the UK APPG on
International Freedom of Religion
Te message of the Khalifah was
a message of peace, understanding,
message that all the religions of the
world have to speak to each other.
We are all the descendants of Adam,
who was created by God. Terefore,
we are all brothers. And as brothers
and cousins we have to treat each
other in such a way of understanding
and peace. Not to confront each
other, not to have fghts in the
world but to try to do as much as
we can, to work towards peace.
Oded Weiner
Director General of the Chief Rabbinate
of Israel
A person of true leadership. I
only saw him for a few minutes,
but I was instantly impressed as
I say, by the sort of genuineness
of the charm that he radiates.
Representing Chief Rabbi of Israel
I think, really, what the Khalifah Sahib
is explaining to us is that we have a lot
of things in common. All the world
religions, they are teaching the same
thing and we have to recognise the
humanity which is in all of us, rather
than trying to look for diferences,
or for reasons to get into disputes.
And we should work together; we
should work for each others beneft.
And at all times, we should recognise
that we are all children of God. And
I think thats what Khalifah Sahib
is trying to explain that ultimately,
it is God that we are answerable to
and it is His work and His message
that we should be trying to carry
out as good humans on the earth.
Councillor Santokh Singh Chhokar
South Bucks District Council, UK
Te Caliphs very important message
at the end, that we should join hands
and work together for peace and I
think that is what the world needs
today. So that was why I came, and
I hope to bring it back to Norway
and to the Ahmadiyya Movement
in Oslo, where I am living, it is very
important for this, also in Norway.
Billy Taranger
Christian Republic Party, Norway
What I found impressive is that he,
very eloquently, showed how the very
message of Islam, the very message of
the Quran, is not about violence but it
is about peace. And I think thats what
he explained very, very elaborately.
And I think thats important, its
a very important message.
Prof. Dr. T. Sunier
Islam in European Studies, University
of Amsterdam
THE CONFERENCE OF
WORLD RELIGIONS
GUEST COMMENTS
Wednesday 4th June
Faith: Jewish
Event: Shavuot (1st day)
Tis day is also known as the Feast
of Weeks. It is a two-day festival
commemorating the day God gave
the Torah on Mount Sinai. Work is
not permitted during the festival.
Monday 16th June
Faith: Sikh
Event: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan
Dev (Nanakshahi calendar)
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God in The 21st Century

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God in The 21st Century

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VOL. 109 - ISSUE SIX JUNE 2014 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.

stands for Raziallahu Taala anhu and

stands for Raziallahu Taala anhu and

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