Spiritual leaders gather in Surrey for interfaith peace conference
The 19th National Peace Symposium has taken place in Surrey, to address the urgent need for world-wide justice and lasting peace.
More than 600 faith leaders, politicians and charities attended the conference at the Mubarak Mosque in Tilford, the global headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.The event, now in its 19th year, was designed to explore pressing global challenges and the urgent need for justice as a pathway to lasting peace, with discussions touching on current conflicts in Iran, Palestine, Ukraine and beyond.
The keynote address was delivered by His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.He advocated for justice, dialogue and sustainable peace, and warned of escalating tensions, including the threat of nuclear conflict and a potential world war.
He told the delegates that political leaders need to put aside selfish desires and vested interests and focus instead on building connections between disparate groups.
The symposium addressed the rise of nationalism in many countries, and injustice fuelling conflict, poverty and inequality, creating humanitarian crises across the globe.
Speakers called for unity for the cause of peace and spoke of the importance of continued dialogue.
