Foreign Muslim scholars, pro-Palestinian activists attend JI convention in Lahore

Foreign Muslim scholars and pro-Palestinian activists from around the world attended Jamaat-e-Islami’s general meeting in Lahore on Sunday, held under the banner of the Badal Do Nizam Grand Convention.

Thiago Avila, a Brazilian humanitarian and climate activist, has gained global recognition for his participation in the June 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla and several humanitarian missions to support the people of Gaza.

During his recent visit to Pakistan, Avila addressed Jamaat-e-Islami's convention in Lahore. JI has been holding large-scale rallies across the city on various occasions, including protests against Israeli aggression in Gaza, rising economic challenges such as high electricity tariffs, and to advocate for different political and social causes.

Avila later shared a video of his speech on Instagram with a heartfelt caption expressing gratitude:

“Thank you Pakistan! Thank you Lahore for this night of solidarity and courage, to mobilize, defeat this system, and build a new and just society in its place!”

While speaking to the crowd, Thiago Avila said, “It is a huge honor to be here among all of you, my brothers and sisters in the same struggle. I’ve heard you say that you need a system change, and that is exactly what this generation must work toward. This is the historical responsibility placed upon us right now.”

He explained that the same global system causing conflicts worldwide “the system that enables genocide in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo”, is also responsible for “the ecocide in the Amazon rainforest and the destruction of ecosystems across the planet.”

According to Avila, this system, “led by US imperialism and Israeli Zionism,” thrives on oppression, exploitation of people, and harm to the natural environment, and therefore “must be defeated.”

He emphasized the need for a world where people can live with dignity: “A system where people live in happiness, solidarity, and love, where everyone has the right to live free and equal, in peace. A world where no child should ever learn the sound of an F-35 fighter jet dropping a 2,000-pound bomb on their home.”

Avila further added, “We need a world where children learn how to become creators of society, not victims of starvation. The future of the Palestinian people reflects the future of all humanity.”

He praised the courage of the people of Lahore, saying, “We must be brave, just as you are brave here in Lahore, and declare that we will never settle for anything less than total freedom and liberation for the Palestinian people.”

British journalist and activist Lauren Booth on Sunday delivered an inspiring address celebrating the strength and resilience of Muslim women. 

Lauren Booth, who converted to Islam in 2010, is the sister-in-law of former UK prime minister Tony Blair.

انگلینڈ کے سابق وزیر اعظم ٹونی بلیئر کی بہن کی قبولِ اسلام کے بعد لاہور جماعت اسلامی کے اجتماع عام میں انٹری pic.twitter.com/xabyjCt1n0

— Hussain Ahmed Ch (@HussainAhmedCh8) November 23, 2025

She said she grew up in London but “had never met women as brave, strong, and brilliant as those in the ummah of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).”

Speaking about true empowerment, Booth reminded women to take pride in their identity and faith, recalling how colonial powers once tried to strip Muslim women, such as Algerian women of their hijab to weaken them.

She urged Muslim women to reject Western culture that discourages family values and promotes harmful beauty standards, saying, “Your prayers are your strength. You are winning against oppression because you stand for true liberation.” Booth expressed deep solidarity with women in Pakistan and Palestine, especially those suffering in Gaza, telling them, “We love you, we respect you. Be empowered by the religion of Rasul (SAW).”