What Happened when “Humanity First” Hit a German Christmas Market

On 11 December 2025, members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light raised a banner bearing the message “Allegiance is to God.” What happened afterward reveals the fractured state of today’s world and of our modern society.

Germany was once a country that welcomed refugees and strangers. In the early 1950s, thousands of guest workers from Italy and Turkey came to Germany and made a significant contribution to the country’s flourishing economic development. This culture of openness was also visible decades later, when Angela Merkel welcomed refugees in the summer of 2015 with the words, “We can do this!”

One particular hotspot in Germany became a landing point for many nationalities. The Rhine-Ruhr region, known for its coal mining, turned into a true “melting pot” of national diversity. On the map, the region appears like a mega-metropolis: more than six cities that have grown together through economic ties into a gigantic metropolitan area, now home to over 5.1 million people—with the city of Essen at its very center.

Born and raised in that region, I was always proud of the Ruhr region and its people. For me, the culture of the ‘Ruhrgebiet’ was a living example of tolerance and practiced humanity. The diversity of languages, traditional foods on every corner, cultures, and religions made the cityscape colorful and interesting—it made it human, because diversity was seen as enrichment rather than as a threat. Even though I did not yet know the Qur’an at that time, I nevertheless saw the idea embodied: “And We made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another” (Qur’an 49:13). This idea was alive in the hearts of the people of the Ruhr region.

Yet a society can overcome differences only as long as it fulfills and protects the fundamental needs of the individual. To lead such a complex social structure justly, it requires a leader “who is driven not by money, but by justice” (Martin Luther King, 1956), and who has no self-interests that could corrupt decisions made for the common good. And this is precisely where every nation falls into the “lizard’s hole,” as the Jewish and Christian communities did more than 2,000 years ago, and as the Prophet Muhammad foretold that the Islamic nation would follow them. They repeatedly chose a leader who satisfied the needs of the majority and rejected the messenger appointed by God as king. They chose a representative of the dominant “me first” and rejected the “we.” 

“Never have the masses thirsted after truth. From facts that displease them, they turn away and prefer to deify error if it can seduce them. Whoever knows how to deceive them becomes easily their master; whoever seeks to enlighten them is always their victim.” (Gustave Le Bon, The Psychology of the Masses)

A just leader is not a distant utopian dream. Just leadership exists in every era through the person appointed by God. Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Muhammad, Socrates, and Plato each appeared to guide humanity toward just coexistence, laying the foundations for societies rooted in divine justice.

And today it is Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem who carries this call forward and actively manifests it. Thus, it becomes clear that the decision of which leadership people devote themselves to, and to whom they give their loyalty, lies in the hands of each individual.

The art of our time is to remember this and to search for this divine just leader. The challenge of this era is not to be distracted by consumption and personal self-interest. The first step toward justice is to renounce the false leaders of our time.

When we look at Germany today, we see how the culture of welcome has drastically reversed and how a flood of ignorant mass thinking is taking over. The call for leadership is loud—but it is increasingly drifting toward right-wing ideology. Even a region like the Ruhr area, once defined by its tolerance of diverse cultures, is becoming increasingly polluted by intolerance. Especially online, right-wing propaganda is increasingly being spread by young people.

For precisely this reason, 22 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light were pleased to visit the city of Essen and remind its citizens of their power and responsibility. The demonstration, approved by the local police, bore the title “Humanity First.” For this is the fundamental principle of just leadership and a peaceful society. But the message of unity is always attacked by those who profit from division. And so it happened that during the demonstration, while the call “Humanity before religion, race, culture, and sexuality” was being voiced, cries of blind hatred arose. “Get out,” “Deport them,” and other hostile shouts were heard. Yet the Old Testament says:

“To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.” (Proverbs 18:13)

Judgments were made hastily about people because a broad mass had been infiltrated with hatred and associated a certain appearance with that hatred. A black banner, a headscarf, foreign-looking people do not automatically mean danger or violence. Yet the stereotype of the violent Islamist has burned itself into people’s minds, and hatred and fear have made them blind and deaf to nuanced understanding.

But the encounter with intolerance and racism did not end there. At the conclusion of the demonstration, two YouTubers from the channel “Blaues Echo”, promoting right wing thinking, approached the members of the Ahmadi Religion and began an interview, whose online videos would later cause waves. The YouTubers opened the interview with the question of whether it was the right choice to hold such a demonstration at a Christian Christmas market—implicitly suggesting that Islam does not belong to “German culture.”

The response from the religious representatives, Haytham and Klara K., was as clear as it was simple:

“We call to the supremacy of God. We believe that the messenger chosen by God is present on earth in this time, and his name is Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem. His message is: Humanity first—humanity before religion, race, and sexuality. It is a call to humanity. So where should this message be conveyed, if not at a Christian Christmas market?”

“The core message of Jesus was: ‘Humanity first.’ We support the same message. Is this not exactly the message that should be represented at a Christian Christmas market? Instead, we see this idea suppressed at Christian Christmas markets today, where consumption takes center stage. That is why this place is precisely the right one for us—to remind people of the essence of Jesus Christ’s message: Humanity first.”

What remains after this answer? When a presumed stereotype is not fulfilled, another enemy image is sought. In right-wing circles, that enemy is the liberal and left-leaning camp. And so the next question was predictable, yet it too led nowhere.

Blaues Echo: “Now a provocative question: Who makes better politics in Germany, “die Grünen” or the “AfD”?”

Haytham: “In short—neither.” Klara continued: “We believe in the supremacy of God, as you can see on our banner. Therefore, for us there is only one ‘party,’ and that is the messenger appointed by God for humanity in every era.”

A clear message in a time of political chaos. A message that transcends the boundaries of dogmatized religious understanding and overcomes racial and cultural differences. Jesus said:

“Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” (Matthew 13:16)

And so, on that day, some people saw a multicultural group of women and men, with headscarf and without —young and old—who, in compassion for one another, proclaimed a message of peace. Others saw it merely as a canvas onto which they projected their own inability to find inner peace.

Four days later, the YouTube channel “Blaues Echo” released the first short video, presented in a dramatically distorted way. The video reached enormous numbers of views on YouTube and TikTok within a very short time.

And with every view, it once again became clear how freely people spread their hatred. The comment section was flooded with insults and threats.

And yet, a torch of hope shone through, reflecting the original heart of the people of the Ruhr region. Curiosity toward the unknown appeared in some comments, and friendly voices made themselves heard.

Positive Comments with Translation:

“These are reasonable and peaceful people, and anyone who has something against humanity first should stay away from Christian Christmas markets. I warmly welcome people like these two; they are a positive enrichment to our society. Our problem is political and violent Islam and these perpetrators of violence who misuse Islam and hide behind it. Deport them immediately.”

“Religion is not a church, religion is not a mosque, religion is not a book, and it is not rituals. Religion is love, religion is mercy, religion is forgiveness! The time for change is now. The time for humanity first. That was part of their slogan. I think there's nothing wrong with expressing that at the Christmas market.”

The German YouTube channel of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light later also published a summary of the demonstration, including the full opening speech.

With his message, Aba Al-Sadiq has created one of the greatest miracles of this age. In a world torn between right and left, between Christianity and Islam, between rich and poor, young and old, he has become a living example of humanity. People from all over the world are joining this message because they wish to renounce tyranny—both external and internal. Because they have recognized that true peace and true justice know no distinctions.