U.S. Congressional Staff and U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Make Historic Trip to 2019 Jalsa Salana U.K.
Participants Meet High Level Government Officials and Have Private Audiences with His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
Participants Meet High Level Government Officials and Have Private Audiences with His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
On August 1-5, 2019, the first-ever official staff delegations from U.S. Congress and U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) traveled to the 53rd Jalsa Salana United Kingdom. The U.S. Congressional staff delegation consisted of five senior staffers from U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), U.S. Congressman Peter King (R-NY) and U.S. Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA). The USCIRF delegation consisted of Dr. Harrison Akins and Dr. Dwight Bashir. The Delegations first met with the Member of Parliament Siobhain McDonaugh, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for Human Rights, Margaret Galy. They then participated in the full 3-day proceedings of the UK Jalsa Salana, having audiences with more than two dozen foreign government officials and special guests from around the world, including Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and the Far East.
The Delegations participated in the launch of a new human rights fact-finding report on the persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community released by the International Human Rights Group, which included a launch event with Karim Khan, Under Secretary General of the United Nations, and Lord Tariq Ahmad, UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations. The highlight of the trip was a private audience with His Holiness Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, worldwide spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which discussion included a range of topics pertinent to world peace, justice and reconciliation. The Delegation also visited Masjid Mubarak in Islamabad and The Fazl Mosque in London.