Last week’s BATCA Peace Ceremony saw a speech given by Abdullah Zahid, Head Boy of Al Risalah Muslim Secondary School in Tooting. We’re very happy to publish this eloquent and moving speech in its entirety here. Many thanks to Abdullah and the school for providing us with the transcript.

A tear falls from her eye. A single tear on a journey of despair. The tear journeys across a cheek that has never been kissed goodnight down a jawline that longs for nourishment and onto little hands that seem to carry the weight of the world. We feel the anguish of the helpless child – orphaned, hungry and alone. And there are many such children.

Which is why we are here today. Because we the youth, the next generation, hope for an end to the constant conflicts which affect our world every day. And yes, we come here and pray every year for peace and so we may be accused of being fanciful: being dreamers. But, where would the world be without its dreamers, without its people who come together, not in war but in peace, for peace, so that no child will be hungry or alone?

Why can’t we dream of the world that John Lennon dreamed of when he penned and sang ‘Imagine’? We are dreamers with prayers!

We ask our politicians to think twice, thrice and once again before picking up arms against our fellow peoples wherever they may be; whatever race, creed or religions. We pray they find better ways to engage. We, the youth, must find the path to peace even if there appears to be none.

We pray for a world of peace. We pray for a world that accepts all peoples of all kinds – we pray that all of us live together in meaningful care and thoughtful consideration of each other. When and if people try to divide us by pointing a divisive finger, we will stand up for each other – irrespective of what colour our skin may be; irrespective of what faith we choose to follow; irrespective of our personal freedoms and lifestyles – and we will stand together.

And, where do we start? We start by recognising we are all on this planet together. We start at home. We start by getting to know our neighbours; we start by listening and learning from one another and by refusing to allow the media and divisive politicians to divide us and make us view each other with distrust.

And so we will be here next year, the year after and the year after that, praying together, for peace: in our schools; our local communities; across our country and across the world.