RELIGIONSaturday, the 19th of June was an extraordinary convention in Gothenburg. The Ahmadiyya Muslims called it Jalsa Salana 2010. This unique program took place at the Nasin Mosque in Gothenburg. Friends of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, scholars, politicians from all parts of Sweden came together to attend this annual event.
Jalsa Salana is a special event, the aim is to build a relationship among Muslims, and non- Muslims in the community. It is also a time to know, meet, and learn from each other. The meeting is a religious and social gathering.
Some prominent speakers were invited to address the audience. The first guest speaker of the day was Professor Bertil Persson. He described the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims as a universal brotherhood. He called on Muslims and Christians to live like one family.
Ann-Sofie Lagerstedt and Kjell BjorkquistofThe Liberal People’s Party stressed the idea of love among the different groups in the community. They advised the audience to study the backgrounds of people before judging them. Ann-SofieLagerstedt said “ the idea of jumpingto conclusions is a grave mistake”.
Another speaker, Ulf Nilsson of the Communist Party asked the participants to respect the religious rights of all in the community. Mr. Nilsson appealed to Muslims and Christians to seek dialogue with people in higher authority. He said “There is an urgent need to show solidarity for all the groups in the community”.
Ulf Bostrom of the Police Integration Group in Gothenburg stated that 80% of the people in Gothenburg come from countries plagued by war.
Mr. Bostrom said “ we have different religion, language, backgrounds and as such people need to respect and support each other in Sweden”
He praised the Swedish Police but corrected the notion that all is well in the police. Police officers are human beings, we should not expect officers to be perfect , he said.
Concluding Mr. Bostrom explained that everyone has a right, and no one should be denied this human right.
Mira Smitran who also works with the Police in Gothenburg encouraged parents to play a vital role in the home. She told the audience “one ofthe primary responsibilities of parents is to educate their kids”.
Nasim Malik of the Social Democratic Party described the brutal attacks on two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore, Pakistan as senseless killing. The series of attacks by Islamic extremists against innocent Pakistani citizens are carried out in the name of religion. He called on the radical Muslims in Pakistan to stop the genocide against the Ahmadies.
Jaslana Salana 2010 in Gothenburg was a huge success.
Imam Agha Yahya Khan at the Nasin Mosque Khan thanked God for making the event a complete success.In addition, he expressed profound gratitude to the people of Sweden for supporting the Ahmaddiyya Mission.
Iman Khan said the Ahmadis are working for peace and harmony in the world. He told a press conference that the Ahmaddiyya Muslim Community categorically rejects terrorism in any form.
He blamed few misguided scholars in the Muslim world who are trying to undermine the Ahmaddiyya Muslim Community. The slogan for the Ahmadis is “Love for All Hatred for None”.
