- Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Leads Prayers Following Historic Reception in Houses of Parliament

A worldwide Islamic leader yesterday addressed MPs and ministers in the House of Commons with a faith-inspired solution to the global credit crisis.

Before leading prayers in the seat of Parliament, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, voiced his fears to 40 MPs, Ministers, Peers as well as ambassadors of a number of countries, that a third world war was a distinct threat.

Political and economic injustice was at the root cause of this threat. The Khalifa said:

"If we survey the last few centuries impartially, we will notice that the wars were not really religious wars. They were more geopolitical in nature. Even in today's conflicts and hostilities amongst nations, we notice that they arise from political, territorial and economic interests.

"It is my fear that in view of the direction in which things are moving today, the political and economic dynamics of the countries of the world may lead to a world war. It is not only the poorer countries of the world, but also the richer nations that are being affected by this. Therefore, it is the duty of the superpowers to sit down and find a solution to save humanity from the brink of disaster."

He added that the solution to the global credit crisis was in religious texts including Quran bestowed to humanity thousands of years ago. Usury, he said, was a fundamental evil - akin to one that Satan had smitten with insanity.

"A major issue today is the economic crisis of what has been termed as the credit crunch. The Holy Quran guided us by saying avoid interest because interest is such a curse that it is a danger for domestic, national and international peace."

Describing the community as 'a standard bearer for the true teachings of Islam' the Khalifa concluded that every Ahmadi Muslim was loyal to the host country, as per Islamic injunction. He condemned extremism and violence perpetrated in the name of religion as having no basis in Islam.

The keynote address was lauded by Ministers and MPs who also praised the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for their interfaith work and peaceful interaction with others.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a message of support to the community on the occasion of it marking its Khilafat centenary, 100 years of spiritual leadership in Islam:

"I hope the British Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will continue to work for peace and tolerance, and towards interfaith dialogue both here and abroad."

The community was welcomed to the Houses of Parliament by Justine Greening MP in whose constituency in Putney the first mosque in London was built in 1924. She said:

"You have played a key positive and vital role in my constituency and your motto of Love for All, Hatred for None is one the whole community could adhere to."

Foreign Office Minister Gillian Merron MP said: "The work of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is extremely important - it gives a voice to those who are marginalized in their own societies. Today we see a unique perspective brought to our work on human rights, particularly of freedom of religion. Through your contribution, our human rights policy is stronger and better."

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP said: "The basis of values of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were tremendously important. The community motto, Love for All, Hatred for None, was a simple way of encapsulating a powerful message."

Further messages were delivered by Lord Eric Avebury, Dominic Grieve MP, Alan Keen MP, Simon Hughes MP, and Cllr Louise Hyams The Lord Mayor of Westminster.

NOTE TO EDITORS

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community was founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India. On the basis of Divine guidance, he claimed that he was the Promised Messiah and the Mahdi (Reformer) awaited by people of all faiths. By the time of his demise in 1908, tens of thousands of people had accepted him. The community has since spread all over the world and has been promoting Islam's message of peace, love and tolerance. Ahmadis reject violence, are loyal to their country of residence and support complete freedom of religion for all. Ahmadi Muslims are estimated to be about 160 million spread across 192 countries. The community runs schools, hospitals and clinics in many parts of the world and through its charity, Humanity First, is actively involved in disaster response, water wells and gift of sight programmes. The founder of the community was succeeded by Khilafat, a system of spiritual leadership. The current Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, is the fifth Khalifa of the community. He guides the community to act in accordance with all Islamic injunctions rather than simply proclaim Islam's greatness. The community was established in the UK in 1914. It is one of the oldest Muslim communities in the UK and built the first mosque in London in 1924, known as The London Mosque. In 2003 the community opened the largest mosque in Western Europe in Morden, Surrey, The Baitul Futuh Mosque, which can accommodate 10,000 people. The community has 90 branches across Britain and operates its own 24-hour satellite TV station from the UK, MTA International, on Sky channel 787. The National Chairman of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK is Mr Rafiq Hayat.

For further information contact Dr Basharat Nazir, National Press Secretary