Lord Ahmad says Hamas 7 October atrocities were ‘against every sense of the faith I follow’

Middle East minister Lord Tariq Ahmad has delivered a “very personal” condemnation as a practising Muslim of the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October at a British-Arab summit.

In his keynote speech Lord Ahmad described the actions of Hamas terrorists in Israel as being “against every sense of the faith I follow, indeed, of any faith or belief around the world”.

Speaking to the third Arab-British Economic Summit in London, Lord Ahmad told attendees that in his ministerial role “every day, every ounce of my effort, everything that we’re seeking to do is to be focussed on trying to shift that dialogue. ”

Addressing the urgent need for progress in the conflict between Israel and Hamas he added:”Peace is not impossible. It’s the difficult pathway ahead, but you know what? We should never give up hope.”

Referencing the loss of life suffered by Israelis and the subsequent heavy death toll in Gaza, the UK minister said:”And let me be very clear – and make it very personal, and I speak as a Muslim, if I may: any act of terror by anyone, anywhere, including those committed by Hamas, are against every sense of our common humanity, against every sense of the faith I follow, indeed, of any faith or belief around the world.

“But equally, we should now really focus and ensure that what’s happening with the suffering of the people of Gaza is put to an end. And on this, if I may particularly commend my dear friend, Manar Abbas, who plays an incredible role as Ambassador of Jordan for the work that Jordan is doing.

“I also recognise through the Ambassador of Egypt – and again thank you Sherif for all you do – the role that Egypt is currently playing in providing that glimmer of hope currently through the Rafah crossing.”

In a reference to on-going hostage negotiations, Lord Ahmad said it was important to “recognise the crucial role Qatar are playing at this important time.”

He also told the meeting on Tuesday:”Suffering in Gaza is going on for far too long.

“No one – unless you are directly impacted – can comprehend the pain and suffering. I visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories ten or eleven days ago, and I saw directly the challenges which were being faced by people in the West Bank and Gaza.

“It’s really hard to comprehend the innocent Palestinian lives that are being lost. The women. The children.”

The Israel-Gaza conflict was the central theme of many speeches at the conference, which began on Monday.

In his opening remarks, Sameer Abdulla Nass, president of the Union of Arab Chambers, warned that “prosperity can’t exist without stability.”He called on businesspeople, both British and Arab, to “influence their governments” and push for peace in Gaza.