Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper): On New Year’s Day, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community volunteers, like Rafee Azhar, clean streets in Hasselt, Belgium, promoting purity and community.
Every New Year’s Day, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community cleans up streets and public spaces around the world after the celebrations. In Hasselt, Belgium, volunteers woke up early to pick up litter and tidy the city. Rafee Azhar, a volunteer, said the effort felt good and was important. “We mostly find a lot of empty drink bottles and various papers,” he mentioned, pointing out the amount of waste. By the end, they had filled many garbage bags.
How does the Ahmadiyya community promote cleanliness on New Year’s Day?
Every year, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community takes part in a big cleanup on New Year’s morning, not just in Limburg but in over 100 countries around the world. Volunteers wake up early to tidy up the streets and public areas before most people are even awake. Rafee mentioned, “We want to start the year ‘clean.’ Our faith is about purity, and that starts with a clean city.”
It has been said that these events focus on picking up trash and highlight the need to care for the places everyone shares. This effort helps build connections among neighbors and shows how faith can encourage good actions. By linking their beliefs to practical work, the community highlights the importance of keeping their surroundings clean.
