Mirza Masroor Ahmad

This was relayed around the world via the Community's television channel, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International with a live link up to Qadian, India, the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and original global headquarters before the partition of India in 1947.

Mirza Masroor Ahmad (born 15 September 1950) is the current and fifth leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

His official title within the movement is Fifth Caliph of The Messiah (خليفة المسيح الخامس, khalīfatul masīh al-khāmis).

Mirza Masroor Ahmad was born on 15 September 1950 in Rabwah, Pakistan, the global headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the time.

He is a nephew of Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth caliph, his mother being a sister of the fourth caliph.

Having served the Community in various capacities, Masroor Ahmad served in Ghana for over eight years.

He established the Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Salaga, a school in the northern region of Ghana, where he served as principal for two years.

His success with the school in Salaga made him an obvious choice as principal of the Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Essarkyir, located in the central region of Ghana.

There he served as principal for four years.

After his tenure as principal, Masroor Ahmad was appointed as the manager of the Ahmadiyya Agricultural Farm in Depali located in the northern region of Ghana where he served for two years.

He successfully planted and nurtured wheat for the first time in Ghana.

The experiment of planting, growing and nurturing wheat as an economic crop in Ghana was exhibited at an international trade fair and the results were submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture of Ghana.

In 1999, a resolution was presented in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab which demanded that the name of Rabwah be changed because that name appeared in the Qur'an.

The resolution passed without much debate and the name of Rabwah was officially changed to Chenab Nagar.

Signage was placed in prominent parts of Rabwah which bore the new name.

A few days later, a First Information Report (criminal complaint) was filed accusing certain members of the Community of erasing a sign which bore the new name.

Though the complaint didn't mention any names, a case was registered, resulting in the arrest of Masroor Ahmad and a few other senior members of the Ahmadiyya Community.

They were imprisoned for 11 days without bail, but were released without charge on 10 May 1999.

He was elected on 22 April 2003, three days after the death of his predecessor Mirza Tahir Ahmad.

Following the death of the fourth caliph, the Electoral College, for the first time in the history of the community, convened outside the Indian subcontinent and in the city of London, after which Mirza Masroor Ahmad was elected as the fifth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

At the very commencement of his accession, he found himself forced into exile from Pakistan in response to pressure from the Government of Pakistan.

Since being elected, he has travelled extensively across the world to meet the members of the community and address their annual gatherings.

In many of the countries he has visited it has been the first visit by an Ahmadiyya caliph

Masroor Ahmad was elected as the fifth caliph on 22 April 2003, a few days after the demise of his predecessor Mirza Tahir Ahmad.

Today he frequently tours around the world, visiting countries for the Community's Jalsa Salanas (annual gatherings).

Masroor Ahmad also regularly leads prayers at the Al-Fazl Mosque in London, England as well as Friday prayers from Baitul Futuh Mosque, in Morden, London.

Under his leadership the community's global satellite TV network MTA International, launched by his predecessor, has expanded into several further affiliated TV channels, social media and radio stations to provide transmission in different languages.

Further campuses of Jamia Ahmadiyya, the Ahmadiyya Islamic seminary and educational institution, have been established including one in Ghana and one in the United Kingdom, the latter has been the first in Europe.

He has focused particularly on directing the community in systematically countering negative media coverage of Islam and engaging in grassroots efforts to propagate what the community believes is the true message of Islam.

In 2004, he launched – and regularly addresses – the annual National Peace Symposium (held twice in 2015) in which guests from all walks of life come together at the largest mosque in Western Europe (the Baitul Futuh Mosque) to exchange ideas on establishing world peace.

These symposia have attracted parliamentarians, religious leaders and other dignitaries.

In 2005, a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten published some caricatures of Muhammad that infuriated Muslims around the world.

On 27 May 2008, members of the Community celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the establishment of Khilafat.

Masroor Ahmad spoke at a large gathering of community members in the Excel Center in London, England and took a pledge from Ahmadis worldwide.

A Jalsa Salana celebrating the centenary anniversary of the Caliphate was planned in Qadian for December 2008.

This gathering was to mark the end of celebrations of the centenary.

However, due to the Mumbai terrorist attacks in late November, and the resulting security situation, Masroor Ahmad cancelled his participation in the gathering at Qadian and returned to London.

In 2009, he initiated the Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize; an international peace award for individuals or organisations that have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment and service to the cause of peace and humanitarianism.

Masroor Ahmad has frequently met heads of state in different parts of the world as well as having delivered keynote addresses to the United States Congress on Capitol Hill, the European Parliament, the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament, the Parliament of Canada and the Dutch Parliament on the teachings of Islam regarding the establishment of peace, presenting Quranic solutions to world problems.

He has consistently called for honesty and the observance of unconditional justice and fairness in international relations.