Prayer for Ukraine
“God of Life and Peace, We pray for the people of Ukraine. For all who have the power to stop war and destruction For victims and refugees, and all those who are able to help For Europe that is our home. God, for generation after generation, You have been our refuge in conflict, crisis and disasters. Have Mercy on Your world! Show us the path of light and give us the will to walk it.”
This prayer was read Thursday February 24th in Stockholm by Archbishop Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden and Imam Yahya Pallavicini, head of the European Muslim Leaders Council (EULEMA). The occasion was part of the programme “A World of Neighbours” on “Keeping our humanity” which Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich from the Jewish community in Warsaw and Anna Stamou from the Muslim community in Greece also attended. Indeed, we need to remind each other of our humanity and how to be good neighbours.
On Friday 25th , many imams across Europe included a special reference to the military invasion of Ukraine in their sermons with a prayer for the life and health of the people, the citizens and believers, the elderly, the women, the youth, the families, their homes, churches, mosques, synagogues, schools, hospitals, offices, artistic symbols, and whole cities under attack and threatened with destruction.
On Sunday 27th, imams visited the Christian Catholic or Orthodox communities from Ukraine in their European countries. Delegations of Muslim representatives were hosted during Ukrainians’ holy mass and a message of hope, brotherhood and peace was conveyed to Ukrainian worshippers all over Europe, including many families who have recently arrived in European cities to escape the current conflict.
A few nights ago, the coincidence of the celebration of the blessed night journey of our beloved Prophet Muhammad during the 27th of Rajab gave us a new occasion to remember the meeting of all Prophets together as brothers and messengers of Truth and Peace.
Meanwhile, Mufti Iusuf Murat from Romania, Mufti Tomasz Miskiewicz from Poland and President Zoltan Sulok from Hungary are working together with local institutions and other faith-based organizations to manage the thousands of refugees escaping from their homeland in Ukraine to survive in neighbouring countries.
These are some facts; not empty statements but actions of prayer and concrete help that EULEMA members have offered in this first week of war and occupation of Ukraine by the Russian army. Our colleague the Christian Orthodox Bishop in Athens asked us, weeping in desperation, how Christian Orthodox from Russia could possibly fight and kill their own Christian Orthodox brothers in Ukraine? But we get no answer from the Orthodox Church in Moscow.
In correspondence with Imam Pallavicini, Sheikh Akhmed Tamim, leader of a Muslim Ukrainian community, requested that the EULEMA send him a message to be shared with his community.
Dear Sheikh Tamim, dear brothers and sisters in Ukraine, Peace be with you all.
This Friday, another moment of prayer and coordination among Muslim leaders will take place in our mosques in Europe. We are in solidarity with the people, families, believers and citizens in Ukraine. We are your neighbours and we stand with you in hope and justice, brotherhood and peace. Together with our national and European institutions, we are working to manage hospitality for families and refugees from Ukraine in Europe and are sending goods that might help your resistance in Ukraine during this cold winter weather while the abhorrent market of bombs and guns are shooting against innocents.
Our action and daily prayers are with you all.
Al-salamu alaykum wa rahmatAllah Ta’al wa barakatuHu.
Imam Yahya Pallavicini, ITALY, Mufti Nedzad Grabus, BOSNIA, Sheikh Mohammad Ismail DL, UNITED KINGDOM, President Anouar Kbibech and Imam Mohamed Bajrafil, FRANCE, Mufti Jusuf Murat, ROMANIA, Mufti Romas Jakubauskas, LITHUANIA, Mufti Nevzet Poric, SLOVENIA, Imam Tarafa and Ms. Amina Baghajati, AUSTRIA, Imam Umar Al-Qadri, IRELAND, Imam Antonio de Diego Gonzalez and Mr. Muhammad Escudero, SPAIN, Imam David Munir, PORTUGAL, President Imam Senaid Kobilica, NORWAY, Imam Abdul-Wahid Pedersen, DENMARK, Ms Suaad Onniselka, FINLAND, Ms Anna Stamou, GREECE, Imam Mohamed Adham Abd El Aal, POLAND, President Zoltan Szabolcs Sulok, HUNGARY, Ms Liya Makhmutova, ESTONIA, Abdassamad El Yazidi, GERMANY, Imam Anass Tigra, BELGIUM.
The statement is issued in the name of its signatories and does not necessarily represent the views of the EULEMA’s supporting or partner organizations.
