AUSSIE MUSLIMS SPREAD HARMONY BY PLANTING TREES

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community take part in National Tree Day.1 Kamal Ahmed and Waji Ahmed, both aged 11, help elders plant trees at Waratah reserve, Eumemmerring. Photo: JOE ARMAO

Melbourne, 10 Shawwal 1436/26 July 2015 (MINA) – A Muslim group is on a mission to plant trees in Melbourne and put down some roots.

It was just one of events held nationwide for National Tree Day, Theage.com quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Up to 150 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth group joined hands with other volunteers to plant 2500 trees along the Eumemmerring Creek at Doveton, in Melbourne’s south-east, on Sunday.

President Kaleem Mohammed said the organisation wanted to promote harmony. “We have people aged 10 to 55 years participating in the event,” Mr Mohammed said.

“As a community we actively take part in humanitarian activities, like donating blood and the Red Cross Door Knock appeal.

“We also want to teach the youth the importance of looking after the environment.”

According to their website, Al Islam, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community was founded in 1889 and has headquarters in Britain.

With a progressive and reformist agenda, the group rejects jihad, Mr Mohammed said.

There had been a lot of negative reporting about Islam, he said. “Islam is all about peace and that’s what we are promoting.”

“We are happy to be Australians, this is our country. As Australians we want to take part in any event as Muslims for good of mankind.”(T/R04/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)