Jalsa Address by the President of the Republic of Mauritius

55The Review of Religions – January 2007 Ameer and President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Distinguished guests, Brothers. I am pleased to be in your midst this afternoon on the occasion of the Jalsa Salana which is being organised by the Ahmadiyya Community. I am thankful to the organising committee for giving me the opportunity to participate in this function and of addressing such a distinguished gathering. My presence this afternoon among my brothers of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is to tell you that we are united in this gathering to derive Spiritual benefits, broaden brotherhood and strengthen mutual ties among ourselves and to emphasise on the need to live peacefully with other ethnic groups in our plural and multicultural society. The Ahmadiyya movement was established in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) in a small remote village called Qadian, in Punjab, India. Within a century, this movement has expanded extensively and reached the corners of the world with a membership of more than 200 million. This rapid growth is a result of the adoption of the benevolent message of peace, universal brotherhood and submission to the will of God, preached by Hadhrat Ahmad(as) and his successors. Address by the President of the Republic of Mauritius The following address was given on the occasion of the 45th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’on 16th September 2006 at Trefles, Rose Hill, Mauritius that was addressed by the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim community and reproduce in full in The Review of Religions earlier. 56 The Review of Religions – Janaury 2007 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS In Mauritius, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was estab- lished as far back as 1915. Ahmadi Muslims are known to be law-abiding, peaceful and benevolent. They are as such constantly engaged in social and voluntary activities. Financial sacrifice is another line of action in which they are engaged. In so doing, they help each other and the poorer sections of the society. The Ahmadi Community runs schools and dispensaries on a free basis in various countries. The Community is always striving to stand on its own and thus, as preached by the Khalifas, does not accept subsidies from the Government. Brothers, I deeply appreciate the motto that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has adopted which is ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’. This expression is much needed in the tumultuous world we are living today where conflicts, natural disasters, violence and violent attacks against innocent civilians are daily highlights in the news. The Ahmadiyya Community is well guided and trained to promote inter-religious faith in our society with its openness, generosity and good community relations. The Ahmadi Muslims endeavour to exert a constructive influence of Islam through peace and universal brotherhood, encour- aging interfaith dialogue. They strongly reject violence and terrorism in any form and for any reason. This motto should be best applied in our country which is a multicultural one. This will strengthen our model of peaceful coexistence. We all should work toward the same prime objective of building a peaceful com- munity so that we can ensure a bright future for coming generations. I am confident that this inter-religious harmony will be safeguarded and will keep away negative influences from our shores. Brothers, it is of central impor- tance for our children and our grandchildren that these qualities of harmony and peace should be achieved and we create a society where people of different faiths and beliefs can live together, a 57The Review of Religions – January 2007 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS direction in which many countries are going. However, it is hard to believe that still there are some countries where those who share your beliefs are being persecuted. I pray that this persecution be alleviated and we make this world a haven of peace and goodness. I am of the view that development and prosperity will flourish with solidarity and not when we are divided or care first for ourselves. Extending a helping hand to the poor and sharing our knowledge with others will only be beneficial to the small nation that we are. Our interest lies in being together, cementing our ties, working together in solidarity, tolerance and sharing. Brothers, to come back to the function of this afternoon, I hope that this occasion is once again a platform to strengthen ties between all the communities of this country, that we preserve and perpetuate the moral values as revealed by the Holy Prophet(saw), and preached by his successors, the Caliphs. I am impressed by the large audience attending this Convention today and I am sure that many of you have travelled from far away to be here, which is a clear sign of your com- mitment to the Ahmadiyya movement. I thank you again for inviting me this afternoon. May there be peace throughout the world for all of us. I hope you enjoy this Jalsa Salana. I thank you for your attention.