Having spent the last two weeks in Caux, a little town in the mountains of Switzerland (with a view of Lake Geneva to die for!), at a conference entitled ‘How to Become a Peacemaker’ I feel that I’ve taken on that rather hippy attitude of love and peace for all mankind. Now I can’t promise this mindset will remain but I promise you if you experience it even for a day in your life you will see what a liberating feeling it is! I no longer harbour hatred for anyone or anything and frankly I never want to again. My anger is often short lived after drawing to the conclusion that the negative impact of my rage is mostly felt by myself. Of course I disagree with things people around me and also on the news do, but responding to it with anger and frustration does not resolve anything.

Our conference was about becoming a peacemaker, about making peace in the world around us, about dealing with racism, xenophobia, islamophobia and all the other problems we face in our lives, yet I learnt that if I want to start repairing society’s wrongs, I must first begin by looking at myself. Questions such as: How do I react when confronted with such hatred? Do I return it with hatred of my own? Is my response more dignified than the aggressors? And so on…

With the stunning view of the lake and the serene surroundings away from some of the usual distractions like the television, I found myself with more time to reflect and it helped me think about things that I never took the time out to ponder, and it led to an inner peace that I never knew was possible. It goes without saying that I want to see peace in Somalia, Palestine, Afghanistan (and the list could go on) but how can I fight for their peace when I myself am not at peace?

I would like to share with you one quick story which may help solidify some of the things I have learnt in Caux… On the day of my arrival, it was late at night and I was extremely exhausted. Whilst walking in the corridor leading to my room, a stranger walked past me, smiled and said ‘hello’. Now maybe some of you are used to this hospitality, but sadly I am from London. Let me tell you the unofficial rules of the London Underground.

1. You MUST NOT under any circumstances make eye-contact with anyone you don’t know.

2. You MUST NOT under any circumstances talk to anyone you don’t know

3. You MUST NOT make any noise whatsoever on London public transport, unless you are on the phone, in which case you must talk as loud as you can so that everyone can hear what you are saying.

I was taken aback by the stranger’s hospitality, yet 2 days later I found myself in the very same corridor, walking past another complete stranger, and almost instinctively I smiled and said ‘hi’. This time I was the one greeting the stranger and I then found myself greeting everyone there. I felt that despite the fact that I didn’t know them, we have something deeper, a bond that has been created by what people there like to call ‘the Spirit of Caux’. This is not something you can explain, but I know you can definitely experience it. I don’t know whether it was the beauty of my surroundings, the people I had met or the experiences I had, but in just a matter of days something had changed inside me.

I must admit though it was easy to have inner peace there, and have that feeling that you are ready to tackle the world’s problems, but the real test truly begins when we are greeted with racism, xenophobia and islamophobia back home. Will I still hold on to that inner peace that I felt? That is the real question….

I would like to conclude with 2 words taught to us by the The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he said ‘Oofshoos Salaam’ which means ‘Spread Peace’.

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