“One of the core principles of the AMYA is loyalty to our country, so it is fitting that our community will remember those who served and gave their lives for British people.”
Source/Credit: Glasgow | STV
By David Bateman | May 29, 2014
A group of proud British Muslims are getting on their bikes to raise £100,000 for UK charities.
The Ride 4 Peace will see members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) travel across the length and breadth of the UK from Sunday, June 1, to Saturday, June 7.
The mammoth cycle from Glasgow to London is also part of an effort to help dispel negative stereotypes of Muslims in the UK.
On the way, the 25-strong convoy will stop at 13 mosques and a First World War memorial to pay their respects to the fallen in the centenary of the Great War.
The gut-busting 600-mile trek is on target to raise close to £100,000 for the British Heart Foundation and Humanity First.
Dr. Tauseef Khan, organiser of the Ride 4 Peace, said: “We want to showcase that British AMYA Muslims support peace. Acts of extremism or terrorism or barbaric acts that happen supposedly in the name of Islam are not at all representative of ordinary British Muslims.
Dr Khan continued: “Our values are in total consonance with the British values of brotherhood, charity, loyalty to one’s country and tolerance for human beings no matter their colour, creed or religion.
“I am proud to be in this country. We have no issue at all being a loyal British citizen and retaining our identity as a Muslim.
“The UK is an ideal country to live as a Muslim. Just a few days ago in Pakistan, an AMYA muslim was murdered in cold blood. In the UK, we have the freedom to practise a religion of our choosing.”
You can follow the route being cycled on the Ride 4 Peace website here.
In addition to marking the centenary of WW1, the cycle also marks the 100-year anniversary of the first AMYA missionary arriving in the UK.
The association, with now over 40,000 members, was originally established in 1889 in India. Twenty-five years ago, a similar group of cyclists from the organisation celebrated that centenary with a ride from Bradford to London, which served as the inspiration for this cross-country trip.
“We wanted to honour their memory by visiting each mosque and a WW1 memorial. The local mayor kindly invited us along to Bailiff Bridge Memorial Park, a WW1 monument between Bradford and Huddersfield,” said Dr Khan.
He continued: “As loyal citizens, we wholeheartedly support British troops in whatever country our government requires them to go to.
“One of the core principles of the AMYA is loyalty to our country, so it is fitting that our community will remember those who served and gave their lives for British people.”
Dr Khan made it clear that the AMYA are “not trying to make a political statement” in light of the recent European elections results, which saw a rise in right-wing parties across the UK, several of whom espouse rhetoric against British Muslims.
Instead, Dr Khan believes the onus is on organisations like the AMYA help others understand “the true nature of Islam.”
He said: “People are free to have their own views. We do not believe the issue here is Islamophobia, we believe it is that people do not know what Islam actually represents.
“The unfortunate thing is that some people commit acts totally opposite to what Islam represents in the name of Islam in a way that makes people alarmed.
Dr Khan added: “We are doing as much as we can to portray the real teachings of Islam, which are peace, charity and living in peace as a loyal British citizen.
“If people came along to a mosque, followed this ride or looked at a community like ours, there would be no issues at all.
“Whoever is elected by the people should govern with justice and serve the people to the best of their ability. If they do this, we say good luck to them.”
For more information or to donate, visit the Ride 4 Peace website.
Read original post here: British Muslims gear up for 600-mile Peace Ride to tackle stereotypes
This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Ahmadiyya Times.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.