“I will give my all in your service thinking not of power but of possibilities. Not of personal interest but of the public good. And, together, we shall write an American story of hope, not fear; of unity, not division; of light, not darkness; an American story of decency and dignity; of love and of healing; of greatness and of goodness.”
These were the promising, encouraging and wisely selected words of President Joe Biden in his inauguration speech after taking his oath as the 46th president of the United States of America.
I eagerly listened to his speech; it was a powerful message and I hope it will reach far and wide.
His speech was a message of hope and healing to the fractured world we live in.
I pray that this dream comes true, his words become a reality and his sentiments are translated into action. As president of the world’s most powerful country, he not only becomes a healer to the wounds of Americans but of the entire world too.
May he use his influence, power and wisdom to bring peace, harmony and unity among all the nations of the world. May we all see a world full of peace, harmony and brotherhood.
May the dream that Martin Luther King envisioned many years back become a reality and may peace prevail in the world.
His speech came at a time when COVID-19 has affected the health of the many people, has struck a massive blow to the economy and is breaking the backs of many wealthy and powerful nations.
As president of the world’s most powerful country, Joe Biden not only becomes a healer to the wounds of Americans but of the entire world- Lai Ahmed Atif
Furthermore, it is also feared that the economic crisis created by this pandemic may result in a Cold War. In fact, it is being said that, in a way, it has already begun and it is quite possible that a global war will ultimately break out using methods and weapons which will lead to catastrophe.
Thus, it is highly essential that wisdom prevails. We need more words of healing from world leaders to ensure the healing of a broken world. We must all realise our responsibilities towards God and to one another. And we must love humanity and discharge the rights of our fellow human beings solely for the sake of Almighty God. We must reform ourselves and elevate the love we hold for others in our hearts.
In his New Year’s Day message, the worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community drew attention towards the hardships faced by humanity during the past year and prayed that humanity is blessed with health, peace and prosperity in this New Year. He concluded his message by saying: “True celebration will be when all of mankind upholds the values of humanity; when the vengeance between people turns into love.”
Undoubtedly, both good and bad has always remained with humanity. God says in the Holy Quran: “And We have pointed out to him the two highways of good and evil” (90:11).
This verse shows that there have always been two highways for human beings to choose from: that of good and that of evil; that of truth and that of falsehood and, lastly, that of spiritual progress and that of material progress.
We are living in a time where we are passing through an unprecedented situation in the history of mankind and this requires that we give precedence to good over evil; to love over hatred; to compassion over enmity.
I truly believe that with God’s blessings and through love, compassion and serving humanity, together, we can heal our broken land.
As the proverb goes, “love begets love”. Let us demonstrate true love and, rather than bending people’s heads, we should win over their hearts and souls.
I truly believe that love is such a powerful instrument and weapon that it can defeat every kind of malice, violence and aggression.
Affection and kinship can change a bitter enemy into a warm and trustworthy friend. In fact, love between two human beings is more powerful than the hatred between two communities or nations.
Despite the prevailing worrying political and horrifying economic situation, we must rise to the challenge and heal our broken world, rewrite our future ambitions, based on unity, peace, love and compassion.
Laiq Ahmed Atif is President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta.