Den Haag, 28 september 2015

Voortouwcommissie:
Volgcommissie(s):

vaste commissie voor Buitenlandse Zaken

Activiteit:
Datum:
Tijd:
Openbaar/besloten:

Bijzondere procedure
dinsdag 6 oktober 2015
16.30 - 18.00 uur
openbaar

Onderwerp:

Ontvangst van ZH Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, hoofd van de Ahmadiyya
Moslimgemeenschap

Agendapunt:

In het kader van de bijzondere procedure ontvangt het lid Van
Bommel ZH Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, het internationale Hoofd
van de Ahmadiyya Moslim Djmaat (Gemeenschap).

vaste commissie voor Veiligheid en Justitie

Het lid Van Bommel nodigt u van harte uit hierbij aanwezig te zijn.
Zaak:

Brief derden - Mobarak Moskee te Den Haag – 30 september 2014
Verzoek Mobarak Moskee om gesprek met vaste commissie voor Buitenlandse
Zaken over mogelijk bezoek van internationale Hoofd van de Ahmadiyya
Moslim Djmaat (Gemeenschap) aan Nederlands parlement - 2014Z16984

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifa-tul Masih V
Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Introduction
His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (Mir-za Mas-roor Ah-mad), is the fifth Khalifa
(Caliph) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Elected to this lifelong position on 22 April 2003,
he serves as the worldwide spiritual and administrative head of an international religious
organisation with tens of millions of members spread across more than 200 countries.
Peace Initiatives
His Holiness is the world’s leading Muslim figure promoting peace and inter-religious harmony.
Through his sermons, lectures, books, and personal meetings, His Holiness has continuously
advocated the worship of God Almighty and serving humanity. He also continuously advocates
for the establishment of universal human rights, a just society and separation of religion and
state.
Since being elected Khalifa, His Holiness has led a worldwide campaign to convey the peaceful
message of Islam through all forms of print and digital media. Under his leadership, national
branches of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community have launched campaigns that reflect the true
and peaceful teachings of Islam.

Ahmadi Muslims the world over are engaged in grassroots efforts to distribute millions of
‘Peace’ leaflets to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, host interfaith and peace symposia, and
present exhibitions of The Holy Qur’an to present its true and noble message. These campaigns
have received worldwide media coverage and demonstrate that Islam champions peace, loyalty
to one’s country of residence and service to humanity.
In 2004, His Holiness launched the annual National Peace Symposium in which guests from all
walks of life come together to exchange ideas on the promotion of peace and harmony. Every
year, the symposium attracts many serving ministers, parliamentarians, politicians, religious
leaders and other dignitaries. In 2009, His Holiness also launched the annual ‘Ahmadiyya
Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace’: an international peace award for individuals or
organisations that have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment and service to the cause of
peace and humanitarianism.
In 2012, both the United States Congress and the European Parliament benefited directly from
His Holiness’s message of peace, justice and unity.
On 27 June 2012, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad was welcomed to Capitol Hill in Washington
D.C. where he delivered a keynote address entitled, ‘The Path to Peace – Just Relations between
Nations’, to an audience filled with more than 30 members of the United States Congress. In
conjunction with this historic event, a bi-partisan resolution was introduced in the House of
Representatives in honour of His Holiness’s visit.
On 4 December 2012, His Holiness delivered a historic keynote address at the European
Parliament in Brussels to a packed audience of more than 350 guests representing 30 countries,
including the President of the European Parliament. During his thirty-five minute address, His
Holiness called on the European Union to preserve its unity and called for equality and justice in
international relations.
Public Service
His Holiness has travelled globally to promote and facilitate service to humanity. He regularly
meets presidents, prime ministers, other heads of state, parliamentarians and ambassadors of
state.
His Holiness takes a particular interest in alleviating the suffering of developing nations, by
helping to improve their agriculture and facilitating access to food, clean water and electricity.
He oversees the work of the International Association of Ahmadi Architects and Engineers
(IAAAE), an organisation briefed with leading various humanitarian and development projects,
in remote areas of the world. The scope and expertise of this organisation has grown at a rapid
rate under his leadership. Likewise, His Holiness supports the work of “Humanity First", an
international non-profit disaster relief and development charity, and other such organisations.
Under the leadership of His Holiness, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has built a number of
schools and hospitals that provide high class facilities in remote parts of the world. Through
various schemes of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness has funded the tuition and
education of numerous underprivileged students around the world, irrespective of their
religious background.
Communication with Ahmadi Muslims
His Holiness receives thousands of letters every day from Ahmadi Muslims worldwide, seeking
his guidance and prayers. As well as responding to all such letters, His Holiness meets with
individual members of the Community, on a daily basis.
Every week, His Holiness delivers a Friday Sermon in which he addresses all members of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worldwide. The sermon is broadcast globally live on MTA
International, an Ahmadi Muslim satellite television station established in 1994, and translated
into various languages. His Holiness uses his sermons to counsel Ahmadi Muslims about various
issues of importance.

Response to Persecution
Following his election in 2003, His Holiness was forced into exile from Pakistan, his native
country. Pakistan’s Constitution and Penal Code restrict members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community from practising or associating with Islam, or from even identifying themselves as
Muslims. Violations of these repressive laws result in fines, imprisonment, and potentially
capital punishment. Consequently, the legislation prevents His Holiness from fulfilling his duties
as Head of the Community and accordingly he is unable to return to Pakistan.
Despite the continued sectarian persecution that Ahmadi Muslims are subjected to in various
Muslim majority nations, His Holiness expressly forbids any violence. On 28 May 2010, antiAhmadiyya terrorists attacked two mosques belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in
Lahore, Pakistan. 86 Ahmadi Muslims were martyred during their Friday Prayers, whilst scores
more were injured. Despite the barbaric nature of this pre-meditated crime against humanity,
His Holiness instructed Ahmadi Muslims worldwide to respond only through prayers and
entirely peaceful means.
Personal Biography
His Holiness was born on 15 September 1950 in Rabwah, Pakistan to the late Mirza Mansoor
Ahmad and the late Nasira Begum Ahmad. Upon completing his Masters Degree in Agricultural
Economics in 1977 from the Agriculture University in Faisalabad, Pakistan, His Holiness
formally dedicated his life to the service of Islam.
From 1977 to 1985, His Holiness served in Ghana, engaged in social, educational and
agricultural development projects. He is accredited with successfully growing wheat on
Ghanaian soil for the first time in the nation’s history. His Holiness returned to Pakistan in 1985
and served in various senior administrative posts within the Community during the next 18
years, including as Chief Executive of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan from 1997
until his election as Khalifa.
His Holiness resides in London, UK with his wife, Amtul Sabooh Ahmad. He has two children and
three grandchildren.
His hobbies include gardening, reading, photography and walking.
About the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast growing international revival movement
within Islam. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India (peace be on him), founded the
Community in 1889. Ahmadi Muslims believe him to be the long awaited Promised Messiah and
the Imam Al-Mahdi, whose advent was foretold by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him). The current headquarters of the Community are in the United Kingdom,
where His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad resides.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is an entirely self-funded religious organisation and has no
political ambition whatsoever.
About the Khalifa-tul Masih (Successor to the Messiah)
The Holy Qur’an, which Muslims believe to be the direct Word of God, has promised Muslims
who are good and righteous the reward of ‘Khilafat’ whereby a ‘Khalifa’ (spiritual Successor) is
appointed by Allah to continue the work of a Prophet.
Today the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the only Muslim sect in the world that is united at
the hand of one leader, who is known as the Khalifa. The Khalifa-tul Masih is the successor to the
Promised Messiah, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (peace be upon him). After his
demise in 1908, the institution of Khilafat was re-established in Islam on 27 May 1908. In 2008
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community celebrated 100 years of the Khilafat.

The institution of Khilafat is the source of the Community’s unity, vibrancy,
organisation, progress and its focus on peace. Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad is
the fifth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Although Khilafat is not in
any way a hereditary institution, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad also has the
distinct honour of being the great-grandson of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community.

Griffier:

T.J.E. van Toor

Activiteitnummer:

2015A03314