Conflict in the Holy Land: A Call for Justice and Peace for Palestine by the Khalifa – The Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

During his Friday Sermons on 13^th & 20^th October 2023, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V^aba and Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said:

“At this time, I would like to make an appeal for prayers, relating to the conditions of the world today. Over the past few days, the war between Hamas and Israel has been ongoing, due to which civilians on both sides, including women, children and the elderly, are being killed or have already been killed without distinction. Even in times of war, Islam does not permit the killing of women, children, or anyone that is not engaged in the fighting. This is something which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) has given very strict guidance on.

The world is saying, and certain evidence also shows, that Hamas initiated this war and is guilty of killing Israeli civilians indiscriminately. Despite the fact that the Israeli army has previously killed many innocent Palestinians in this manner, Muslims however must still act according to the teachings of Islam. The Israeli army is responsible for their own actions; and other methods could have been adopted to resolve the issue. If a war is warranted, then it can be fought between armies, not with women, children and the innocent. Thus, the actions of Hamas were wrong; it has caused far greater harm than any benefit. Nonetheless, the response to all that has happened and the war should have remained limited to Hamas and that, in reality, is what would constitute true bravery and courage. However, now the actions being taken by the Israeli government are also very dangerous. It seems as if there is no end to this situation. The innumerable amount of innocent lives of women and children that will be lost is unfathomable. The Israeli government claimed that they would completely raze Gaza to the ground, and for this they have dropped many bombs. They have reduced the city to rubble.

The latest circumstances are that they have said more than a million people should leave Gaza, and some have indeed started leaving. Thankfully, as feeble as it may be, the UN [United Nations] has raised its voice to some degree, saying that this would be a violation of human rights and it would be wrong, leading to many difficulties. As such, Israel should reconsider this order. Rather than firmly saying that this is wrong, [the UN] is merely making a request.

In any case, the innocent who are not engaged in the war are not at fault at all. If the world considers Israeli women, children and ordinary citizens to be innocent, then the Palestinians are also just as innocent. The teachings of the People of the Book also state that such killings are impermissible. If the actions of the Muslims were deemed wrong, then these people should reflect on their own conduct as well.

In any case, we must pray fervently.

The Palestinian Ambassador [Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK] gave a television interview here [in the UK], perhaps to the BBC, and in response to a question, said that Hamas is a militant group, not a government, and it has no connection to the Palestinian government. At the same time, he raised the question, and rightfully so, that if true justice were to be established, then such things would not transpire. If major powers did not have double standards, then such restlessness and warfare in the world could never happen. Hence, if these double standards were eliminated, then it would bring an end to such wars.

These are the very things which I have been stating in light of Islam’s teachings for quite some time. In the moment people agree, however, they are not prepared to act accordingly.

Now, all the major powers, or Western powers, have put justice aside and are uniting in taking harsh measures against Palestinians and there is talk of armies being sent from all directions. Images of the victims are shown to depict the atrocities being perpetrated and false reports are shown in the media. At times, there will be news about the condition of Israeli women and children and their dire circumstances they are facing, yet, later, it turns out that they were not Israelis but, in fact, Palestinians. However, the media does not take any accountability for this, and there is no sympathy expressed for them. These people simply follow the rule of “might is right”. They will bend before anyone who has worldly wealth.

Upon analysis, it would seem that the major powers are bent on fanning the flames of war, rather than putting them out; they do not wish to end warfare. After the First World War, the major powers created the League of Nations in order to bring an end to wars. However, due to not fulfilling the demands of justice, and failing to establish its own authority, it proved unsuccessful. Consequently, the Second World War broke out, and it is said that more than 70 million lives were lost. The same is happening now with the UN. It was created to establish justice in the world, support the oppressed and to try and bring an end to wars. However, these are all far from being reality. Everyone is simply concerned with their own interests.

The average person cannot even fathom the harmful consequences of the war that will result from these injustices; however, all the major powers are well aware of the grave consequences. Yet, despite this, there is no attention given towards establishing justice. No one is even prepared to pay attention to this. In such circumstances, Muslim nations, at the very least, should come to their senses. They should set aside their differences and establish unity. In order to better their relationships with the People of the Book, if Allah has given the commandment to the Muslims:

تَعَالَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٖ سَوَآءِۭ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكُمۡ

“Come to a word equal between us and you.” (The Holy Qur’an, 3:65)

i.e. by uniting over the Unity of God, then Muslims who have the exact same creed should unite between themselves even more so by setting aside their differences.

The Muslims must ponder over this, and establish their unity. This is the only way to eradicating disorder from the world. They should unite and raise a resounding voice for the fulfilment of the requirements of justice and fulfilling the rights of the oppressed, wherever they may be. If they unite as one, then there will also be strength in their voice. Otherwise, these Muslim governments will be responsible for the loss of innocent Muslim lives. These powers should always remember the guidance of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), that both the oppressors and the oppressed must be helped. This important point must be understood.

May Allah the Almighty grant Muslim governments reason and understanding and enable them to unite and establish justice. May He grant reason and understanding to the world’s powers so that rather than leading the world to destruction, they try to save the world from destruction. May their purpose not be to satisfy their egos. They should always remember that when destruction comes, even they will not be safe from it.

In any case, all we have is the weapon of prayer, which every Ahmadi Muslim should use now, more than ever before.

Some Ahmadi households in Gaza were destroyed, may Allah the Almighty keep them safe. May He keep all the innocent and oppressed safe, wherever they may be. May Allah the Almighty grant understanding to Hamas, so they do not become responsible for the cruelties inflicted on their own people, nor should they commit injustices against anyone. If they are compelled to fight, then they must do so according to the commandments of Islam. Enmity for another nation should not lead us away from acting justly; this is the command of Allah the Almighty.

May Allah the Almighty enable the major powers to establish justice on both sides and thereby establish peace. It should not be that they lean towards one side and thus usurp the rights of the other side. May they not commit injustices and cruelties. May Allah the Almighty grant us the opportunity to witness peace and security in the world.”

Calls to world powers for restraint

“At this juncture, I wish to speak again about the current global situation and reiterate the importance of prayer. Nowadays, writers from the West, even some from the United States, have written in their newspapers that there should be a limit to retaliation. They opine that America and other Western countries should play their part in the conflict between Hamas and Israel, making efforts for peace and ceasefires. However, the same writers also lament that it seems these nations, instead of working to stop the conflict, appear to be fanning its flames. Similarly, there was a report from the United States where a senior official of the US Department of State resigned, stating that the oppression of innocent Palestinians has reached its limits and that the world powers should be mindful of this. Still, there are decent and noble individuals among them. Occasionally, it is reported in the media that some Jewish rabbis have also spoken out in favour of justice and against oppression. Russia’s Foreign Minister has warned that if these countries continue their current stance, this war could spread throughout the region.

However, I believe it may spread globally, so these nations should exercise utmost prudence. Similarly, as I’ve previously mentioned, Muslim countries should speak in unity and with one voice. If the world’s Muslim-majority nations, often cited as 53 or 54 in number, were to speak as one, it would indeed be a powerful force and would make a significant impact. Isolated voices, however, lack influence. This is the only way to establish peace in the world and end this war. Muslim nations must make earnest efforts to prevent global destruction. May Allah grant them the ability to do so. Nonetheless, we must persistently pray. May Allah bring an end to this war and protect the innocent, oppressed Palestinians. Further, may no more atrocities befall them, and may Allah eradicate oppression from the world, wherever it exists. May Allah grant us the ability to pray earnestly.” [Amin.]