For two decades, the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been warning the world of an impending Third World War. Unfortunately, no heed was paid to his words.
MARCH 6, 2022
Gloom is looming on the horizon. What seemed to be a far-fetched premonition is now turning into a reality. Following a months-long military build-up at the Ukraine border, Russia invaded its neighbouring country on 24 February 2022, by land, sea and air making it the biggest attack on a European state by another since the Second World War.
The grave consequences of such a happening had been deemed to be detrimental by many. In 2021, Yuliia Laputina, a Ukrainian government minister had said that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could spark a Third World War as the conflict would spread much wider afield[1]. The British Prime Minister had commented that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could prove to be catastrophic for the world[2].
Whether this conflict evolves into a global war is a question that only time will answer, while we can only hope and pray that it does not. However, the fact cannot be denied that the current dire situation of the world is not the result of an overnight phenomenon, but is the consequence of continuous disregard for peace.
The Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba has been warning world leaders of such dangers for almost two decades while no serious heed was paid to his words.
On 13 February 2022, addressing the presidents of the local chapters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK in a virtual meeting, His Holinessaba said:
It is said that if Ukraine and Russia go to war then there is the danger of this evolving into a world war and resultantly nuclear weapons can be used.
I have been warning of this for a long time, that governments should come to their senses. Nevertheless, from what it seems Russia says ‘We have no intention [to go to war]’ – America and Europe are adamant about going to war. And the current situation is that neither Europe nor Russians want to leave Ukraine.[3]
His Holiness addressed Ahmadis and said:
It is your duty to pray. Continue to pray that Allah the Almighty safeguards you from a world war.[4]
World leaders must remember that this is a very crucial time. A wrong step taken can prove to be extremely horrific and destructive. There is still time for them to avert this doom and establish peace, but only if they pay heed and no more ignore the warnings of the Ahmadiyya Khalifa which he has been issuing for a long time.
Absolute Justice is the prerequisite for peace
On 22 May 2021, during a virtual meeting of journalists from The Gambia with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba, a journalist referenced His Holiness’s book, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace and asked about the importance of justice and why it was crucial to speak out against injustices. His Holiness replied:
If there is no justice, there is no peace. If you have double standards, as we can see in today’s world shown by the big powers, they cannot maintain peace in the world.… This is why you can see there is disturbance in the world today. So, if there is no justice, there is no peace.[5]
On June 27, 2012, during His address at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, His Holiness said:
The truth is that peace and justice are inseparable—you cannot have one without the other. Certainly, this principle is something that all wise and intelligent people understand. Leaving aside those people who are determined to create disorder in the world, no one can ever claim that in any society, country or even the entire world, that there can be disorder or a lack of peace where justice and fair dealing exist.[6]
Failure of the United Nations
In the same address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba said:
After the conclusion of the First World War, the leaders of certain countries desired for good and peaceful relations between all nations in future. Thus, in an effort to achieve world peace the League of Nations was formed. Its principal aim was to maintain world peace and to prevent future wars from breaking out. Unfortunately, the rules of the League and the resolutions it passed had certain flaws and weaknesses and so they did not properly protect the rights of all peoples and all nations equally. Consequently, as a result of the inequalities that existed, longterm peace could not prevail. The efforts of the League failed and this led directly to World War II….
The world’s governments at the time did endeavour to some extent to try and establish peace, and hence the United Nations was established. However, it soon became quite apparent that the noble and overarching objective underpinning the United Nations could not be fulfilled. Indeed, today certain governments quite openly make statements that prove its failure.[7]
His Holiness further stated:
In the United Nations we find that there is a distinction made between certain countries. Thus, in the Security Council there are some permanent members and some non-permanent members. This division has proved to be an internal source of anxiety and frustration and thus we regularly hear reports of certain countries protesting against this inequality.[8]
During his historic visit to the European Parliament in Brussels, addressing an audience of more than 350 guests representing 30 countries, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba expressed his concern about the veto power that some countries enjoy at the United Nations saying:
The right of veto power can never allow or facilitate the establishment of peace, because clearly not all countries are at an equal level…… If we look at the voting history of the United Nations we find that the veto power has not always been used to help those who are being oppressed or who are acting in the right way. In fact, we have seen that the veto power has, on certain occasions, been misused to help and assist in cruelty, rather than to prevent it.[9]
Devastating consequences of a Nuclear War: Learning from past mistakes
On 9 March 2019, while addressing the 16th Annual Peace Symposium UK, His Holinessaba stated:
If there is a nuclear war, we will not only be destroying the world today but we will also be leaving behind a lasting trail of destruction and misery for our future generations. Hence, we must pause and reflect on the consequences of our actions.[10]
On 23 November 2015, while addressing a special reception held at the Hilton Hotel in Odaiba, Tokyo Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba said:
Now it is not just the major powers that have nuclear bombs, but even a number of smaller countries possess them.
Whilst perhaps the major powers keep such weapons as a deterrent, there is no guarantee that the smaller countries will show such restraint. We cannot take it for granted that they will never use nuclear weapons. Thus, it is clear that the world stands on the brink of disaster.[11]
During his keynote speech at the 9th Annual Peace Symposium UK, His Holiness said:
Japan is the one country to have experienced the abhorrent consequences of atomic warfare, when it was attacked by nuclear bombs during the Second World War. Even today when you visit Japan and meet its people, you see an absolute fear and hatred of war visible in their eyes and from what they say. Yet the nuclear bombs that were used at that time and which caused widespread devastation, were much less powerful than the atomic weapons that are possessed by even very small nations today.
It is said that in Japan, even though seven decades have passed, yet the effects of the atom bombs are still continuing to be manifest on newborn children.[12]
Bloc formation, conflict between nations and the need to resolve disputes through dialogue
On 22 October 2008, during his speech at the British Parliament, the House of Commons, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba said:
Nowadays, when the world again is getting divided into blocs; extremism is escalating; and the financial and economic situation is worsening, there is an urgent need to end all kinds of hatred and to lay the foundations of peace. This can only be done by respecting all kinds of sentiments of each other. If this is not done properly, honestly and with virtue, it will escalate into uncontrollable circumstances.[13]
In 2012, His Holiness wrote letters to various world leaders drawing their attention towards establishing global peace. In his letter to the then US President Barack Obama, His Holiness wrote:
We observe that political and economic problems have once again led to wars between smaller nations, and to internal discord and discontentment becoming rife within these countries. This will ultimately result in certain powers emerging to the helm of government, who will lead us to a world war.
If in the smaller countries conflicts cannot be resolved through politics or diplomacy, it will lead to new blocs and groupings to form in the world. This will be the precursor for the outbreak of a Third World War.[14]
Tensions between Russia and the West
In his Odaiba, Tokyo address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba said:
In Eastern Europe, hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and other European countries are continuing to flare. Furthermore, recently there has been heightened tension between the United States and China regarding the incursion of an American warship into the South China Sea.[15]
On 25 March 2017, while addressing the 14th National Peace Symposium, UK, His Holiness said:
Tensions between Russia and the West continue to smoulder and threaten to escalate at any time. Indeed, as tensions continued to mount, Germany’s ex-Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, took it upon himself to speak out against NATO military exercises near the Russian border. Speaking last June, he said:
‘The one thing we shouldn’t do is inflame the situation with loud sabre-rattling and warmongering…. Anyone who thinks a symbolic tank parade on the alliance’s eastern border will bring security is wrong. We will be well-advised not to provide a pretext to renew an old confrontation.’
I agree with the statement of the ex-Foreign Minister that nations should not provoke one another or seek to assert their dominance, rather they should engage in diplomacy and try to resolve differences amicably and without needlessly threatening each other.[16]
Post-Covid situation can lead to wars
In 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba sent letters to world leaders warning how precarious the world situation could become in just a few months. He said:
Indisputably, Covid-19 has shaken the world’s economy to its very core and patently the coming weeks, months and years ahead will be exceedingly hazardous and challenging…. If history teaches us anything it is that when governments selfishly prioritise their own national interests over and beyond the collective interest the results are invariably catastrophic. Inevitably, economic or trade wars occur that, in turn, foster hatred and jealousy and ultimately lead to open warfare and bloody conflicts in which unimaginably destructive weapons are unleashed obliterating all that is before them.
Consequently, with all humility and sincerity, I urge you as the leader of your nation to formulate policies that are based on justice so that the world may be saved from further misery and destruction. With all my heart, I hope and pray that you will pay heed and take seriously my earnest words.[17]
On 29 November 2020, during a virtual meeting of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya (an auxiliary of Ahmadi boys between the ages of 7 and 15 years) Germany with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba, a question was asked whether life would ever become normal again after Covid? His Holiness replied:
I fear and feel that it is quite possible that a war or conflict could break out after this pandemic ends and its ruinous effects could last for many years. Thus, we must pray that warfare does not break out and that world leaders act with sense so that the global situation can stabilise as quickly as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary that mankind turns towards God Almighty.[18]
Still time to act
During his keynote address at the 12th Annual Peace Symposium UK, His Holiness said:
Whilst some are saying that another World War is now unavoidable, I believe that even now there is time for the world to wake up to the stark reality it faces and to arrest this threat. To do so, all people and their leaders will need to stop looking only in one direction and caring only for their own interests. Instead, they must seek to fulfil the requirements of justice, fairness and honesty at all levels of society.[19]
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba said in an official statement:
Now a war in Ukraine has started and so the situation has become extremely grave and precarious. Furthermore, it has the potential to escalate even further depending on the next steps of the Russian government and the response of NATO and the major powers. Unquestionably, the consequences of any escalation will be horrific and destructive in the extreme. And so, it is the critical need of the hour that every possible effort is made to avoid further warfare and violence. There is still time for the world to step back from the brink of disaster and so, for the sake of humanity, I urge Russia, NATO and all major powers to concentrate all their efforts on seeking to de-escalate the conflict and working towards a peaceful solution through diplomacy.[20]
His Holiness further said:
I pray that the world’s leaders pay heed to the need of the hour and value, above all else, their obligation to ensure the peace and stability of the world. May Allah the Almighty protect all innocent and defenceless people and may true and lasting peace in the world prevail. Ameen.[21]
We hope that the leaders of the world have the cognizance to understand this dreadful reality, and so instead of adopting aggressive policies and utilizing force to achieve their aims and objectives, they strive to adopt policies that promote and secure justice.
REFERENCES
[1] Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Could Bring About World War Three, Warns Minister, 16 December 2021, Mirror
[2] Boris Johnson: Russian War with Ukraine Would Be ‘Catastrophic for the World’, 15 December 2021, Independent
[3] Serve and Befriend Jamaat Members: Local Presidents of Jamaat UK Meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, 18 February 2022 issue Al Hakam p. 4
[4] Ibid
[5] Journalists in The Gambia have Honour of Virtual Press Conference with World Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
[6] The Path to Peace – Just Relations between Nations, address at Capitol Hill, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace p. 84
[7] Ibid pp. 85-86
[8] Ibid p. 87
[9] The Key to Peace – Global Unity address at European Parliament, Brussels, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace p. 111
[10] True and Sustainable World Peace address at the 2019 National Peace Symposium by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, UK
[11] The Key to Peace in a Time of Global Disorder, address at a special reception at the Hilton Hotel in Odaiba, Tokyo, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace, p. 191
[12] The Devastating Consequences of a Nuclear War and the Critical Need for Absolute Justice, address at the 2012 National Peace Symposium by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, UK, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace p. 51
[13] Islamic Perspective on the Global Crisis, address at the British Parliament, the House of Commons, London, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace p. 14
[14] World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace p. 217
[15] The Key to Peace in a Time of Global Disorder, address at a special reception at the Hilton Hotel in Odaiba, Tokyo, World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace, p. 190
[16] Global Conflicts & the Need for Justice, address at the 2017 National Peace Symposium by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, UK
[17] Letters Sent to World Leaders by Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community During Covid-19 Pandemic (2020), published on 8 December 2020 by the Review of Religions
[18] 60 Members of Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Germany Have Honour of a Virtual Meeting with the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Press & Media Office, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, December 1, 2020
[19] Global Principles for World Peace, address at the 2015 National Peace Symposium by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, UK
[20] Statement of World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Regarding Russia-Ukraine Crisis, Press & Media Office, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, February 24, 2022
[21] Ibid
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