The Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has called on Bangladesh to take Shamima Begum as their national.
Speaking ahead of the 16th National Peace Symposium at the UK’s largest mosque, the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said Muslim countries should show sympathy to Begum and take her in.
As her parents were originally from Bangladesh, “the first duty is of Bangladesh to take her as their national”, he said.
Despite the Caliph’s initial policy been that she should be allowed to come to the UK for the sake of the child with Begum facing trial, that has now changed since the death of her baby.
The Caliph addressed several issues at the Peace Symposium, including risks of further escalation of India-Pakistan and continued threat of Daesh.
He said: “The world is stuck in a vicious cycle of conflict and counter-conflict, as rivalries ferment and hatreds become ever more deeply entrenched. No one knows where such issues will finally lead us or how horrific the consequences will prove to be.
“It is said that the terrorist group Daesh is on the verge of collapse and that their so-called Khilafat is finished. Yet, experts also warn that though Daesh has lost its territory, its hateful ideology persists and its members who have survived are now scattering and could eventually regroup and perpetrate attacks in Europe or elsewhere.”
During his keynote address, the Caliph warned about the threats posed by the rise of nationalism and the potential negative impact of Brexit on global unity.
He said: “One of the core reasons underpinning their (far-right) popularity has been widespread immigration, which has caused resentment and a belief that existing indigenous citizens are being short-changed in order to fund and support immigrants.”
“All that most people desire is the ability to provide for their families and it is only when such opportunities are denied to them that they seek to leave their homes in search of a better life. Accordingly, the long-term solution to the immigration crisis has to be to establish peace in war-torn countries and to help the local people, who have been forced to endure lives of misery and danger, to live peacefully.”
On Brexit, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Remember that the strength of Europe lies in its remaining united and together as one. Such unity will not only benefit you here in Europe but at a global level will be the means for this Continent to maintain its strength and influence.”
“The Islamic viewpoint is that peace can best be achieved through unity. Yet, regretfully, instead of uniting, we are seeking separation and prioritising our individual interests over the collective interests of the world.”