The impending threat of a Third World War; a sobering start to 2020

Summary of His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s (may Allah be his helper) Friday sermon on 3/1/20 :

Commenting on the status of the world at the start of 2020, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his helper) said in his Friday sermon on 3/1/20, that the context of the overall situation in the world, is as if the world itself is calling out for its own destruction. The Middle East is also falling into further disarray. There is a growing possibility of war erupting between the USA, Iran and Israel. There is no unity among the Muslim countries. Thus, we ought to pray profusely to save the world from catastrophe and for mankind to turn towards God Almighty. May God Almighty shower His blessings and grant them wisdom and understanding. As we enter the new year, storm clouds continue to gather ahead. Thus, in order to make this year a blessed one, we should pray to God Almighty, that may He halt governments, who only want to prove their superiority over others, from taking the world towards destruction. May these governments not annihilate mankind having succumbed to their egos and in pursuit of their vested interests. May God Almighty grant them wisdom. Thus, this true New Year greetings place a great responsibility upon every Ahmadi, be they a man, woman or child and we must utilise all of our strengths, faculties and capabilities and strive to our utmost to achieve this. Through our prayers, we must form a special relationship with God Almighty and only then can we receive the blessings of this year. May God Almighty enable us to do so.

Models in Hiroshima museum depicting the scene after the nuclear bomb was dropped. The skin of those directly affected literally melted away due to the intense heat and radiation.

Recent events in Iraq and the death of a senior military personnel have once again placed the world at the brink of war. Although both sides have apparently backed down for now and the situation has slightly deflated, tensions in the region still run high. The possibility still exists of a Gulf War III that may end up in World War III, if Iran’s nuclear allies decide to join with the might of their nuclear arsenal. This could ultimately lead to the destruction of the whole world.

In 2019, nine nuclear armed countries possessed nearly 14.000 nuclear warheads; 90% of this nuclear arsenal is owned by the USA and Russia. The death and destruction caused by the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of second world war was truly horrific, leaving more than 135,000 injured or dead people in Hiroshima and 64,000 casualties in Nagasaki. The nuclear arsenal of the modern world is 3,000 times more powerful than the largest of the atomic bombs (21-Kilotons) that destroyed the two Japanese cities. The Russian owned Tsar Bomba can produce a 50-Megaton blast, that is capable of producing 130,000 feet mushroom cloud, about four and a half times the height of Mount Everest—as it sent shockwaves around the globe three times over.

The catastrophic effects of a nuclear bomb can be classified into four categories: instantaneous, near-immediate, short term and long term.^[i]A several million centigrade increase in atmospheric temperature vaporises human tissue, annihilating all signs of life within half a mile radius of the nuclear blast. People in the immediate vicinity get burnt alive or die of suffocation because intense fires sucks oxygen out of the atmosphere. This also has an impact on people in underground shelters, who succumb to lack of oxygen. Those outside the zone of complete destruction face physical and radiation injuries leading to blindness, bleeding and massive internal and external injuries. Anyone who survives immediate effects of the atomic blast is exposed to the consequences of long-term radiation effects such as cancer. Nuclear weapons cause severe damage to the climate and environment on a scale incomparable to any other weapon. The Red Cross estimates that a billion people around the world could face starvation as a result of nuclear war.

During his historic tour to Europe in 1967, Khalifatul Masih III (may Allah have mercy on him) warned Europe about the prophecy of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). He said, “The Promised Messiah also prophesied that a third world war of even bigger dimensions would follow the second. The two opposing Camps will clash with such suddenness that everyone will be caught unaware. Death and destruction will rain from the sky and fierce flames shall engulf the earth. The colossus of modern civilisation will tumble to the ground. Both the communist and the opposing blocks will perish in the process. Russia and its satellites on the one hand and the U.S and its allies on the other, shall be destroyed, their might broken, their civilisation ruined and their system shattered. The survivors shall stand aghast and amazed at the tragedy… … ‘ Then advising world how to prevent this death and destruction, Khalifatul Masih III ( may Allah have mercy on him) said, “But gentlemen, let us not forget that this prophecy, like all prophecies, is a warning and its fulfilment can be delayed or even averted provided man turns to his Lord, repents and mends his ways. He can yet avert Divine Wrath if he stops worshipping the false deities of wealth, power and prestige, establishes a genuine relationship with his Lord, refrains from all transgression, does his duty to God and man, and learn to work for the true human welfare.”^[ii]

Warning against any actions that may lead to the third world war, the current head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his helper) said, “The world has come together like a global village and so such disorder will not be contained but will encompass and consume the entire world. This is the reason why I say, time and time again, that we should make every possible effort to save the world from a Third World War. If such a war was to occur, then there would not only be a threat of chemical weapons, but rather there is a very strong likelihood that nuclear weapons would also be used. The horrific effects of atomic warfare are indescribable and would be felt for generations to come.^[iii]