London [UK], March 11 : The Ahmadiyya Community in London organised a National Peace Symposium on March 9 amidst the escalating regional and global conflicts, with the theme 'Building a Sustainable Peace'.
The symposium was held at Baitul Futuh Mosque, the largest mosque in Western Europe, and is the 18th one to date. It also serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ahmadiyya community UK and is home to the National Peace Symposium.
More than 800 guests from across the world attended the unique event, including secretaries of state, parliamentarians, diplomats, faith and civic leaders, and representatives from numerous charities and faith communities.
The current and fifth leader of the Ahmadiyya community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, delivered the keynote speech at the National Peace Symposium UK 2024.
He said, "With all my heart, I hope and pray that before it is too late, the world comes to its senses and brings an end to the brutalities and wars taking place in the world. Certainly, it is my opinion that there should be a full ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, or Palestine and also the war between Russia and Ukraine."
The National Peace Symposium aims to unite people from all walks of life while offering them a platform to discuss ideas and experiences related to achieving peace in the pluralistic global society of today. According to Rafiq Hayat, the National President of the Ahmadiyya community in the UK, the event fosters deep bonds of understanding and brotherhood among people belonging to different religions.
"There were Jews here, there were Christians here, there were Sikhs here, there were Muslims here, and I think they all come here because they know that when they come here they will be united in the discourse of obtaining peace in the world. That is what attracts them to our functions," said Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK.
During the event, the 'Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace' was presented in recognition of an individual's or an organisation's contribution to the advancement of the cause of peace.
Centres of diverse knowledge and Peace symposiums are one of the flagship events of the Ahmadiyya Community around the world.
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