Oppression, revenge and the greatest weapon in the world

Read in Maltese: We often hear that religion causes harm and distress and is a means of hatred; and there are people who say that if there were no religions, the world would have been much better and peaceful.

However, in reality this is not true at all. In fact, religion is an instrumental force of goodness, love, compassion and sympathy. It is also true that sometimes people use the name of religion for causing violence, however, even in this they are at fault, and not the religion. Secondly, if people don’t pay attention to that which religion offers them, even then you can’t blame religion, but such people should be blamed who don’t pay attention to religious guidance.

God is Merciful

As a religious person, personally, I always learn lessons of religious teachings and outline a vision according to the word of God. My heart is filled to the brim with love and compassion for all humanity. This love in my heart is due to the fact that our Lord is ‘Merciful, Gracious and Compassionate’. In addition, the Prophets of God were also the means of love for mankind. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent “as a mercy for all peoples” (Quran, 21:108); and his every fiber was filled with love and compassion.

Therefore, the religion that I follow and believe in is neither cruel nor vindictive nor does it promote any form of violence, oppression or injustice. And not even the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent to spread cruelty or hatred. On the contrary, he was sent only as a flowing fountain of mercy, with everlasting and universal compassion for all humanity.

Inspired and enlightened by this love for humanity, when I see the situation of peace in the world, it worries me, I feel anguish and pain in my heart for humanity, and when I try to imagine the horrifying consequences of wars, it becomes unthinkable and inconceivable.

Conflict in the Holy Land

The Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, has always spoken loud and clear, and has worked tirelessly for peace since he became the Caliph. Recently yet again he has been significantly highlighting the perils of wars, almost every Friday, in view of the current situation in the Middle East; he encourages everyone to intensify prayers and raise awareness against oppression amid the growing escalation of the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land between Israel and Hamas.

In his message he underlines his desire for peace and the love he has for humanity, and this also means that religion and people who really believe in religion never use violence and never create disorder in the land, but their every word and action is a means of peace building. They don’t speak or write anything except ‘love, compassion, peace and human well-being’.

A World War looms before us

“The conflict between Hamas and Israel is intensifying, resulting in an increasing number of innocent Palestinian women and children being martyred. With the pace at which the situation of war is escalating and the policies being apparently adopted by the Israeli government and major global powers, it seems as if a World War now looms large before us. Now, even the leaders of certain Muslim countries are openly stating, as have Russia and China, and similarly, Western analysts have begun to write and proclaim that the scope of this war seems to be broadening. If immediate, wisdom-based policies are not adopted, the world will face devastation.

“No leader from the Western world, from any country, wants to deal with this matter justly, nor do they possess the courage to speak about it. Until someone bravely strives for a ceasefire, they are invariably responsible for pushing the world towards destruction.

Cruel and unjust revenge

“Representatives of the Israeli government claim that Hamas has killed our innocents; hence, we will take revenge. This revenge has now gone beyond all limits. The loss of Palestinian lives is four to five times greater than the loss of Israeli lives, which is reported. If their target, as they claim, is to eliminate Hamas, then why do they not directly combat them? Why are they targeting women, children, and the elderly? They have also deprived these people of water, food supplies, and medical care. All claims to human rights and the rules of warfare end when it comes to these governments.

“Indeed, some voices do draw attention to such matters, such as the former US President Obama, who recently stated that if one must wage war, one should adhere to the rules of warfare. There should be no atrocities committed against civilians. The UN Secretary-General had spoken in the same vein. The Israeli government raised an uproar over this. Yet the global ‘advocates of peace’, who consider themselves the ‘ultimate champions’ or even the ‘paragons of peace’, not only did not support the statement of the Secretary-General; rather, they expressed their dislike for it. In any case, the situation is perilous and becoming more dangerous.”

The strongest weapon

Our weapon is prayer. We believe that the greatest weapon we have in our hands is the weapon of prayer before our Lord; therefore, the leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community constantly draws our attention to the importance of prayer, saying that:

“Hence, in your respective circles, and along with your prayers, strive to spread the message of stopping oppression. If any Ahmadi has connections, explain this to them. This is real courage, and it is the standard of acting upon God Almighty’s command… Nonetheless, we should intensify our prayers. Pray for the end of oppression, and make efforts within your means.”

The dawn of peace

May God give us the ability to pray fervently and do everything possible for the end of oppression, cruelty and injustices. May God give wisdom to the world to stop oppression and revenge, and instead of worldly destructive weapons, they use the greatest weapon in the world, prayer, so that together we can see the dawn of lasting peace. Laiq Ahmed Atif | amjmalta@gmail.com