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Muslim peace conference condemns terrorism | Muslim peace conference condemns terrorism |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Thousands of Muslims are attending a peace conference in London which is condemning terrorism. | Thousands of Muslims are attending a peace conference in London which is condemning terrorism. |
About 12,000 Muslims are understood to have gathered at Wembley Arena for Islamic group Minhaj-ul-Quran's Peace for Humanity Conference. | About 12,000 Muslims are understood to have gathered at Wembley Arena for Islamic group Minhaj-ul-Quran's Peace for Humanity Conference. |
The conference is launching a campaign to get one million people to sign an online declaration of peace by 2012. | The conference is launching a campaign to get one million people to sign an online declaration of peace by 2012. |
Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri says the conference will send a message that 10 years of extremist activity should end. | Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri says the conference will send a message that 10 years of extremist activity should end. |
'Love and smiles' | 'Love and smiles' |
Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran and is the lead speaker at the event. The cleric told BBC Radio 5 live the conference would also commemorate the recent 10th anniversary of 9/11 and send a message that mankind should unite against extremism. | Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran and is the lead speaker at the event. The cleric told BBC Radio 5 live the conference would also commemorate the recent 10th anniversary of 9/11 and send a message that mankind should unite against extremism. |
"We should strive together, to bring an end to the era of extremist terrorism so that the peace and love and fraternity - which is lost because of unfortunate extremistic activity in the last decade - should come to end and we may restore the peace, love and smiles on the faces of mankind." | "We should strive together, to bring an end to the era of extremist terrorism so that the peace and love and fraternity - which is lost because of unfortunate extremistic activity in the last decade - should come to end and we may restore the peace, love and smiles on the faces of mankind." |
Normally it's pop stars who attract the big crowds at Wembley Arena. Today it is the renowned Islamic scholar Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. | |
You can even see posters of him on the buses travelling through the streets near the stadium. | |
But his message is a serious one. He preaches that there are no conditions under which extremism and the violence it endorses can be excused. | |
It's a message that has found a big audience here at Wembley but one which has ironically made him the subject of death threats from those who don't believe in peace. | |
Minhaj-ul-Quran says Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri's declaration for peace will call for tolerance, respect and justice. The cleric also condemns terrorism. | Minhaj-ul-Quran says Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri's declaration for peace will call for tolerance, respect and justice. The cleric also condemns terrorism. |
"We reject unequivocally all terrorism because at the heart of all religions is a belief in the sanctity of the lives of the innocent. The indiscriminate nature of terrorism, which has in recent years killed far more civilians and other non-combatants than it has combatants," he said. | "We reject unequivocally all terrorism because at the heart of all religions is a belief in the sanctity of the lives of the innocent. The indiscriminate nature of terrorism, which has in recent years killed far more civilians and other non-combatants than it has combatants," he said. |
Other speakers due to appear included London's Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes; Dr Joel Hayward, the dean of the RAF College Dr Joel Hayward, Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim and Muslim scholar Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad. | Other speakers due to appear included London's Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes; Dr Joel Hayward, the dean of the RAF College Dr Joel Hayward, Conservative MEP Sajjad Karim and Muslim scholar Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad. |
Video messages of support from politicians, including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, opposition leader Ed Miliband and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles were also due to be played along with a collective multi-faith prayer. | Video messages of support from politicians, including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, opposition leader Ed Miliband and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles were also due to be played along with a collective multi-faith prayer. |
Last year in London, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri launched a fatwa - or religious ruling - against terrorism. | Last year in London, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri launched a fatwa - or religious ruling - against terrorism. |
Are you going to the peace conference? Send us your stories using the form below. | Are you going to the peace conference? Send us your stories using the form below. |