A leader of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at and Managing Director of Muslim Television Ahmadiyya, (MTA) International Nigeria, Munir Ud Din Shams, has said that Islam is a religion that believes in and uphold the principles of peace and justice, reports thegazellenews.com
Shams also said world is presently in a state of crisis and the solutions to it is for everybody to imbibe the principles of peace and justice as stated by the Holy Quran.
He also quoted from the book of His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, global Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on recipe to achieve world peace.
Shams spoke on Wednesday, 12 February, 2025 at a world press conference on global peace held at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Nigeria Headquarters Ojokoro, Lagos.
The Muslim leader assessed the current state of the world which he described as a turbulent time where the global economic crisis continues to manifest newer and graver dangers; and where the similarities to the period just before the Second World war continue to be palpable moving the world at an unprecedented pace towards a horrific third world war.
Shams quoted the highlighted statements of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, about Qur’anic principles and teachings for world leadership and peace as the recipe for the challenges confronting the world.
According to him, Ahmad declared that: “What does Islam say in relation to international relations that are based on justice, and so a means of establishing peace? …It is a clear teaching of Islam that the people of all nationalities and all races are equal. It is also made clear that all people should be granted equal rights without any discrimination or prejudice. This is the key and golden principle that lays the foundation for harmony between different groups and nations, and for the establishment of peace.
“Today we find that there is division and separation between powerful and weaker nations. For example, in the United Nations we find that there is a distinction made between certain countries. Thus, in the Security Council there are some permanent members and some non-permanent members. This division has proved to be an internal source of anxiety and frustration and thus we regularly hear reports of certain countries protesting against this inequality. Islam teaches absolute justice and equality in all matters and so we find another very crucial guideline in Chapter 5, Verse 3 of the Holy Qur’an.
“Powerful and rich countries should not usurp the rights of the poor and weaker countries in an effort to preserve their own rights, and nor should they deal with the poorer nations in an unjust fashion. On the other hand, the poor and weaker nations should not seek to inflict harm on the powerful or wealthy nations whenever the opportunity arises. Instead, both sides should endeavour to fully abide by the principles of justice. Indeed, this is a matter of crucial importance in maintaining peaceful relations between countries.
“Thus, Islam has drawn our attention to various means for peace. It requires absolute justice. It requires truthful testimony to always be given. It requires that our glances are not cast enviously in the direction of the wealth of others. It requires that the developed nations put aside their vested interests, and instead help and serve the less developed and poorer nations with a truly selfless attitude and spirit. If all of these factors are observed, then true peace will be established,” he said.
The Muslim leader stated Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at have held several conferences with other religious bodies outside Islamic on how to achieve peace
“In most of these conferences, we talk about peace and love among people irrespective of their religious background, ethnic, creed among others. Other religions at the conferences always speak about the good things about their religious. Most religions are about peace and that should be thing all of us must imbibe for the world to be in peace,” Shams said.
He added that violence should not be the last resolve in solving crisis, saying the “Holy Quaran does not support violence in whatever form, Islam is totally against it. Negotiations should be the key, to come together to solve the problems. That is the way Holy Quaran tell us and that what true Muslims believe in. We don’t believe in violence to achieve what we want.”
He, however, urged the Nigerian government, the media and the citizens to entrench the strong culture of peaceful and harmonious co-existence among the diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds that characterise Nigeria.
He also used the opportunity to speak extensively on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya, (MTA) International Africa Nigeria Studios office, which he said was established on December 4, 2017, but was inaugurated on June 8, 2023 and has produced over 250 programmes.
Also speaking at the well – attended press conference, Alhaji Alatoye Folorunsho AbdulAzeez, AMIR, National Head, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Office of Nigeria, said that religion can play significant role in the development of a nation, but that what the likes of Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents are doing has nothing to do with the Islamic religion.
AbdulAzeez said that these groups are fighting for territory, power and resources, saying that they are not fighting Jihad because some of the people they kill are Muslims, who practice the five pillars of Islam.
