6th National Peace Symposium Finland 2024
By the grace and blessings of Allah, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Finland had the honour of organizing its Sixth National Peace Symposium in the capital city, Helsinki. The central theme of this program was “#VoicesForPeace: Building world peace together“,
which primarily focused on the current deteriorating global situation, the rapidly growing fears of a Third World War, and the means of achieving peace in such times. The program also featured an exhibition of the Holy Quran and community literature. Additionally, banners were displayed to explain various teachings of the Holy Quran related to peace, humanity, and religious harmony.
Respected Mr. Abdullah Wagishauser, Amir of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Germany, participated as the Guest of Honour with the approval of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper). In this Peace Symposium, 59 distinguished non-Ahmadi guests and speakers attended, while the total attendance was 110. The dignitaries included politicians, diplomats, members of parliament, social work organizations, members of religious organizations including priests, and guests from various sectors. Preparations for the event began several days in advance. The Secretary of External Affairs prepared invitations and sent them to members of the Jamaat to distribute to their contacts. Two days before the event, a ‘Waqar-e-Amal’ was organized, where members of jamaat worked diligently together to set up the stage, prepare the guest tables, and arrange the exhibition and decorations.
The Secretary of External Affairs, Mr. Ahmad Farooq Qureshi, invited the keynote speaker, Honorable Abdullah Wagishauser, Amir of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Germany, and the National President of Jamaat Finland, Respected Ata-ul-Ghalib, to the stage. The program began at 2:00 PM with the recitation of the Holy Quran and its translation.
The President of the Jamaat Finland, in his opening address, drew a parallel between the Finnish word “sisu” (meaning to act with courage and determination without concern for the results, even in extremely difficult situations) and the principles of the Jamaat. He then explained that we can work harmoniously together towards a common mission, which is the attainment of peace.
Following this, Respected Shahid Mahmood Kahloon, the Missionary in-charge of Finland, introduced Ahmadiyyat and the activities of the Jamaat. He also invited the guests to participate in our events, mentioning that the Jamaat serves people regardless of race, religion, or colour.
Subsequently, video documentary showcasing His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s (May Allah be his Helper) tours to various countries and his speeches on various platforms, such as the European Parliament, and his peace efforts, were shown on large TV screens. All the guests watched with great attention, frequently nodding in agreement with Huzoor-e-Anwar’s words. The guests listened to the entire event with great interest and attention, and many recorded video clips of different parts of the event.
Peace Prize:
After the video documentary, the Annual Peace Prize award ceremony took place. This year, the award was given to Amnesty International Finland for their humanitarian services and efforts to improve the state of the world. This award was received by the Chairperson of Amnesty International, Ms. Miia Nuikka, from Honorable Amir sahib of Germany and the Respected National President sahib of Finland.
The Respected Secretary of Foreign Affairs introduced her and mentioned that her board works on a voluntary basis, approves strategies and projects, and oversees the office’s work. In her capacity, Ms. Miia Nuikka is also the Executive Director of a development organization in Finland called the International Solidarity Foundation, which is based in Helsinki and specializes in empowering women and girls in East Africa.
After receiving the award, Ms. Miia Nuikka thanked the community and said it was a great honour for her and that she felt very happy to receive this award. Later, in her brief speech, she mentioned that the right to protest is very important to keep humanity safe, highlighted the dangers of artificial intelligence, and talked about how climate change is causing human destruction.
Invited Dignitary Speakers:
Following this, a video message was shown from Member of Parliament Ms. Eva Biaudet, who could not attend in person. In her message, she thanked the Ahmadiyya Community of Finland and spoke about the increasing anxieties in society and the rapidly decreasing peace. She emphasized that to create the best society, it is necessary for us to let our children play with the neighbours’ children so that they can become the Ambassadors of peace.
Next, the long-time friend of the community in Finland, Mr. Mikko Pyhälä, who is the Ambassador Emeritus of Finland and a member of the Advisory Board of the organization Stop Ecocide International, gave a speech. He mentioned that he always feels at home in the Ahmadiyya community. He expressed his happiness when, on one occasion, Huzoor-e-Anwar (May Allah be his Helper) quoted his message in a speech. He talked about the persecution of Ahmadis, discussed climate change, mentioned the Ukraine-Russia war, and spoke about Gaza and Israel, stating that Hamas started this war and Israel’s response was completely out of proportion. He emphasized that this war should end immediately.
The next speech was delivered by Ms. Marjatta Valkama, who is an Executive Advisor at Soka Gakkai International Finland (a registered Buddhist community in Finland). She expressed her joy at being at the event and mentioned that the Peace Symposium was very close to her nature. She also spoke about the environment and stated that war and oppression are crimes against life.
Following her, Ms. Emma Tamankag, Chairperson of the Moniheli Board of Directors Finland, took the stage. The Moniheli circle includes over 100 multicultural member organizations, representing more than a dozen different cultural backgrounds and 3,000 individuals. Moniheli’s headquarter is in Helsinki, and it is a collaborative network of grassroots multicultural and immigrant organizations based in Helsinki. The network’s goal is to promote cooperation among different organizations to foster diversity and equality in Finnish society. In her speech, Ms. Emma Tamankag mentioned that there are terrible conditions in the world, forcing people to seek refuge in other countries under extremely dire circumstances. She also said that watching the news nowadays can be depressing. She raised the question of what peace means to each individual and suggested that to achieve this peace, we should start by providing better training to our children.
The next speech was delivered by Reverend Petri Samuel Tikka, a public figure, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, musician, singer, and PhD researcher. He shared that his grandmother used to say that everything ends, but the greatness and mercy of God never end. He mentioned the peaceful teachings of Christianity, recited his father’s prayer poem in Finnish, and provided its English translation.
Keynote Speech:
At the end, the keynote speech was delivered by the Chief guest, Honorable Abdullah Wagishauser, Amir of Jamaat Ahmadiyya Germany. He shared that 50 years ago he had come to Finland, but back then he was an enthusiast of the hippie lifestyle. Later, he learned about a very important message in life, which is Ahmadiyyat. He mentioned the current world conditions and spoke about the tireless efforts of His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper), as well as his warning messages to the people and leaders of the world about the potential dangers of a Third World War. He pointed out that some countries use their veto power like a trump card. He explained Islam’s teachings about world peace, emphasizing that the recompense for an injustice is a punishment equivalent to it and no more, and that forgiveness is better. He noted that the Quran instructs Muslims to protect the places of worship and the rights of every religion. In the event of war, civilians, women, children, the elderly, trees, and religious leaders must not be harmed. He stated that Finland has always been a neutral country and a leader in peace, but after the Ukraine war, Finland ended its neutrality. He advised the guests that Finland should not give up its role as a mediator and should always continue on the path of peace. At the end, he led a collective prayer in which those present who wished to participate prayed in their own way. Thus, with the Grace of Allah, the highly successful event concluded. Afterwards, a buffet meal was arranged for all the guests, and during the event as well as before it, coffee was also provided.
Guest impressions:
After the symposium, many guests recorded their impressions, and everyone appreciated and acknowledged the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat Finland. They recognized that such events, which teach tolerance, are greatly needed at present, where everyone, regardless of religion, colour, or sect, can express themselves openly, listen to each other, reduce differences, and work towards a common goal of achieving peace.
A Finnish artist and writer wrote on his social media post: ‘Last Sunday, we had the honour of attending the annual peace symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. We listened to keynote speeches with the slogan “Love for All, Hatred for None.” The community’s message is a profound pursuit of peace and tolerance, and respect for each other’s religious and cultural practices. In this era, efforts that emphasize mutual understanding are crucial. I was particularly impressed by the distinguished speaker Abdullah Wagishauser and was delighted to exchange some thoughts with him afterwards.’
In a similar manner, another non-Ahmadi guest later expressed to the Ahmadi member who had brought her that ‘Huzoor’ has not visited our country Finland, while he is touring different countries. She said that she would write a letter to Huzoor requesting him to visit our country. At the end of the program, the guest also recorded her opinion on video in which she expressed her gratitude for being given the opportunity to attend the event and said she was very satisfied with the initiative of the Ahmadiyya community. There were also gifts for the guests, and one guest received a picture of the beloved Huzoor in the gift bag. She said that she would place this picture on the table in her home so that everyone could see it.
Another guest was from Nepal and she listened to the program with great interest and shared the picture of Huzoor’s photograph on the pamphlet and the shield on her Facebook.
Honorable Abdullah Wagishauser Sahib, Amir of the Ahmadiyya Community in Germany, along with a delegation from the Ahmadiyya Community in Finland, had personal meetings with some important and influential personalities in the two days following the Peace Symposium, during which they also made plans based on mutual interests for the future. May Allah create thousands of positive results and bestow uncountable blessings from this program. Ameen.
(Report: Ahmad Farooq Qureshi, National Secretary of External Affairs)
