Germany: With brooms, shovels and garbage bags Ahmadiyya youth clean up after party-goers

The venture, internally called "Waqar-e-Amal" ("honorable work") aim to introduce the young people at a young age to social activities and do good in the society. In this way they, Says Hameed, they learn that no service activity is to be regarded as inferior. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | EU Desk
Source/Credit: Main - Spitze | Ginsheim
By Main - Spitze | January 4, 2011

SWEEPING ACTION Ahmadiyya community understands street cleaning in the New Year as a contribution towards the integration effort

Every year on New Year's morning members the youth organization of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya) clean public places in the area.  Even the beginning of 2012 brought together volunteers from the community at 7 O’clock for the usual morning prayer at Gustavsburger mosque "Bait-ul-Ghafur" (House of Forgiving) which was followed by a community breakfast. Then they visited the cemeteries to remember the dead and offer to silent prayers at the graves.

Then began the three-hour major cleanup project, which drew about 20 men and youths working as volunteers.


Equipped with brooms, shovels and garbage bags, they cleaned the neighborhoods around the Ginsheimer Ballou and public places, and the Old Rhine shores of a major waste.

"Islam teaches us to help and support each other and through the volunteer cleanup, we want to make a contribution as well as integrate ourselves in the society,”  says Adnan Hameed, head of the youth organization in Ginsheim. “Because,  this way, we fulfill our responsibility towards the community.  Our organization carries it out in about 240 communities throughout the nation."

During their work, the participants filled hundreds of garbage bags and saved the public effort and expenditure.

The venture, internally called "Waqar-e-Amal" ("honorable work") aim to introduce the young people at a young age to social activities and do good in the society. In this way they, Says Hameed, they learn that no service activity is to be regarded as inferior.

The community members appreciate to be able to freely practice their religion in a democratic state after they or their ancestors had to flee due to many years of persecution in Pakistan.

Founded in 1889 in Qadian India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community sees itself as a reform within Islam, which distinguishes itself from militant fundamentalist movements and stresses that Islam means peace.

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