Voice of British Muslim Women

Sameea Jonnud, Aldershot

In recent years it has become evident that the world has become more divisive and filled with conflict and last month matters became far worse with the Hamas attack in Israel followed by Israeli bombings of the Gaza Strip leading to the deaths of thousands of men, women and children, most of whom were Gazan. With the use of social media as well as traditional news coverage, reports have been sent across the world almost immediately so we can all see the tragedy unfolding before us; at least it’s not hidden, the way past atrocities were, coming to light long after anything could be done. The greatest positive of instant social media is the opportunity for people to spread the message, and this has resulted in hundreds of thousands of people marching in solidarity with the innocent victims of the bombings.

As the Israel Palestine conflict is extremely political in nature, world leaders have, for the most part, allied themselves with the Israeli Government’s stance and been supportive of their actions both in words and with arms and financial support. As a result, Gaza has continued to suffer under intense bombardment with more and more innocent lives lost. In the Western world we are somewhat sheltered from the realities of death; reading about it after the fact is not the same as seeing actual footage on the smartphones we hold in our hands, which is what we are now seeing, and it is heartbreaking. A mother silently weeping while clasping the body of her child, children, injured and bewildered, trying to find lost family members – these are scenes which should not be happening and are very difficult to view; indeed, it is not difficult to sink into despair as it goes on and on.

For ordinary people around the world, prayer has been the first port of call. With the world full of disunity, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, May Allah be his Helper, worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, told us in his Friday Sermon of 13th October to pray “… use this spiritual weapon more than ever before.” He also stated, “If the Muslims unite and are one, they will have a strong and impactful voice.” On 20th October he again reminded us, “We should lay great focus on our prayers. We should pray for the end to this oppression and strive to end it in our remits.”

As well as prayers, we can raise our voices. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, under the guidance of His Holiness, may Allah be his Helper, has launched a global campaign #VoicesForPeace, calling to bring about an end to the war in Gaza and establish peace. For those who feel there is nothing practical they can do, this is one way to spread the message of peace, using social media to reach the corners of the earth, to reach our leaders and the people of our local communities. By using our voices for peace, we have common ground with others of all faiths and none, many of whom have also been calling for an end to the war on Gaza, and united, the call for peace will be amplified until it is difficult for those in power to ignore.

His Holiness, may Allah be his Helper, has been giving warnings for many years that the world is heading for destruction if world leaders do not stop their injustice and strive for peace; and now we see the terrible scenes in Gaza which are a result of this very injustice which can make us seem helpless. But with prayers and by raising our voices we can take some action in our own way and, God Willing, see an end to the deaths and injustice currently going on every day.