Islam & Europe - Peace, Identity & Integration — Page 32
32 ISLAM & EUROPE: PEACE, IDENTITY & INTEGRATION own path, free from any form of coercion. In this regard, the Holy Quran explicitly states that there should be no compulsion in matters of religion. 1 The inauguration of a mosque is a purely Islamic function and it will be of no surprise to you that we, Ahmadi Muslims, have an emotional connection and deep affiliation to our mosques. Consequently, it is a cause of sincere joy and profound emotion for us that Allah the Almighty has enabled us to build this mosque here in this city, where we can join together for the worship of the One God, in the way that He has taught us. However, all of you, who are our guests, have no such emotional bond to this mosque, but have still made the effort to participate in today’s event and this proves that you are kind, generous and tolerant people. In addition, it shows that you want to increase your knowledge about Islam and learn about the objectives and reasons for which we have built this mosque. For this, I also commend you - because taking the time to learn about the faiths and beliefs of others is a crucial way of knocking down the barriers that divide us and exposing those myths that often cultivate unnecessary anxiety and trepidation. Certainly, it is a cause of extreme regret to me and to all peace-loving Muslims, that in non-Muslim countries, there is widespread fear of Islam and many people believe that Muslims and mosques are good for nothing, apart from causing problems and undermining the peace and security of society. However, the reality is the opposite and so to alleviate any apprehensions that may exist amongst the local community, I shall now briefly mention the core purposes of mosques, so that you can all better