Tahir Mahmood Khan, Norway Correspondent
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Norway hosted a peace symposium on 9 April 2019 at the Bait-ul-Nasr mosque in Oslo, Norway. Around 200 guests from across the country attended this unique event, including politicians, ambassadors, faith and civic leaders as well as representatives from different faith communities.
The theme of this year’s peace symposium was Challenging Intolerance & Promoting Moderation.
Various dignitaries spoke at the event and shed light on the subject from their viewpoint. They were thankful to be invited to such a gathering, which they thought was a good initiative through which we could build strong relations with communities and attain peace in the world.
Dignitaries who spoke at the event included Mr Ed Brown (Secretary General for Stefanus Alliance International), Ms Chro Borhan (Dialogue Advisor for the Nansen Peace Centre), Mr Torstein Dale Akerlund (Director of Studies at the Bjorknes College), Mr Steinar Murud (Secretary General of Universal Peace Federation in Norway) and Mr John Roger Lund (Unit head of unit east at Oslo Police District).
The keynote address was delivered by Sir Iftikhar Ayaz Sahib. He conveyed the greetings of peace from Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa to the audience.
He then addressed the audience explaining the true teachings of Islam as taught by the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and revealed by God almighty in the Holy Quran. He emphasised that Islam, as a religion of peace, teaches no form of extremism or terrorism, and that the true Islam, as shown by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, is not to be feared. After dinner, guests were offered a guided tour of the mosque and the peace exhibition.