Messiah Foundation International’s Official Statement
Messiah Foundation International (MFI) was co-founded by His Holiness Younus AlGohar under the guidance of Lord Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi to be a platform where people of all religions and backgrounds could gather to promote divine love and interfaith harmony.
His Holiness Younus AlGohar is a renowned peace activist and advocate of spiritual teachings that transcend all religious and cultural boundaries. He holds Master’s degrees on various subjects and has been recognised as a ‘Man of Valour’ and ‘Ambassador for Peace.’ His Holiness has travelled with Messiah Foundation International since its founding, taking MFI’s revolutionary message to countries all around the world.
MFI is entirely self-funding, with no support from any government. It is run by volunteers who either donate their time or their money for our cause; we do not give a salary to anyone, including our CEO, HH Younus AlGohar. Our funds are used for the promotion of our message and maintenance of our centres.
In 2013, due entirely to a technicality, HH Younus AlGohar was convicted of benefit fraud in United Kingdom. Initially, we remained quiet on the subject, deciding to instead focus our energies on our mission. However, due to misinformation in the media and the adverse effects of said misinformation, we feel it now prudent to make the whole truth known.
The Issue of the Honorific ‘His Holiness’
Some members of the media have wrongly stated that HH Younus AlGohar asks others to address him as ‘His Holiness’.
There is no obligation upon anyone to call His Holiness Younus AlGohar as such, especially not
from HH Younus AlGohar himself. This is a title many of us have chosen to use to address HH Younus AlGohar out of respect.
In HH Younus AlGohar’s own words, when asked during an interview with Interfaith Connection TV:
‘Personally, I never use this title and I have no desire to use such titles. I’m a simple man and I feel good that I’m doing something to benefit humanity. If anything comes between me and humanity and stops me from benefitting them, then obviously I would never use such a title.
His Holiness Younus AlGohar’s Eligibility for Disability Benefits
His Holiness Younus AlGohar has been claiming disability benefits from the United Kingdom for 17 years. During the time His Holiness received benefits in the United Kingdom, one qualified as disabled when their GP (General Practitioner) confirmed that they suffered from debilitating conditions. A person’s health would then be independently reviewed every year by a panel of physicians commissioned by the government to ensure the recipient still qualified for benefits. HH Younus AlGohar was, for all the years leading up to this case, deemed legally unfit to work by these medical professionals.
In the United Kingdom, you are deemed unfit to work if you cannot work 8 hours straight due to any physical afflictions.
HH Younus AlGohar has been diagnosed by multiple physicians to suffer from cluster classic migraines and fallen arches.
Cluster classic migraines affect 1-2 in 1000 people. Attacks have severe short-term and long-term effects.
According to the Migraine Trust, ‘Cluster headache is a rare type of headache that affects about 1 to 2 people in every 1,000. It is one of the most painful conditions an individual can experience, described as excruciating and even more debilitating than migraine.’
This type of headache affects the nervous system and, amongst many other things, can weaken eyesight. Agonising pain can last for hours during an attack and continue sporadically for days, up to eight times in one day. It is known as the ‘suicide headache’ due to victims preferring to take their own lives during or in anticipation of an attack.
Having fallen arches makes it significantly more painful to walk distances farther than 500 metres as compared to the average person; it has been linked with injuries in the bone, connective tissue and/or muscles in the foot as well as pain in the back, lower legs, ankles, knees and hips.
In spite of all these hurdles, His Holiness Younus AlGohar co-founded Messiah Foundation International, pouring his heart and soul into spreading the message of mutual love across all corners of the globe. His dedication, strength of character and pain for humanity cannot go unnoticed.
The Case
HH Younus AlGohar, having dedicated his life toward the cause of Messiah Foundation International, has not been personally managing his own finances for many years.
In all the ways that matter, His Holiness Younus AlGohar is completely innocent of committing benefit fraud.
The case against His Holiness is based on the fact that there was an error in the tenancy agreement presented on behalf of HH Younus AlGohar.
The tenancy agreement was for a property which had a rent normally beyond the scope of those paid for by the county council. However, in this case, the council was only asked for the usual grant that HH Younus AlGohar was eligible for, which equated a portion of the rent of the said property.
The tenancy agreement failed to mention that the estate was being sublet and instead only mentioned the amount paid on His Holiness’s behalf to the proprietor.
Due to the general appearance of the house, suspicion arose regarding His Holiness’s finances. Because of this technical mistake in the tenancy agreement, a full investigation was carried out. As investigators found that this mistake was repeated in the past in documents given under HH Younus AlGohar’s name, it was considered fraud and taken to court.
It is important to note that His Holiness Younus AlGohar was not deceiving the council into giving him more money than is typically allowed for a person of his condition in the eyes of British law.
Then Why Plead Guilty?
His Holiness Younus AlGohar was advised that pleading innocent would lead to a lengthy court battle, and most importantly to His Holiness, it would severely restrict his ability to carry out his normal duties as the head of Messiah Foundation International.
The Judge’s Remarks
His Honour Judge Critchlow, who oversaw the case, declared in his observations in the passing sentence for Mr AlGohar, ‘I …appreciate the work you do, the importance of your work to very many people in many countries.’
In regards to his light sentence, Judge Critchlow stated, ‘In view of the work you do to help others it seems to me that is effectively helping the community in this country already.’
Finances and Travel with Mehdi/Messiah Foundation International
Although we do not pay our officials or members a salary for the work they do, Messiah Foundation International’s funds go towards all the finances it takes to carry our mission forward.
This includes the travel and accommodation when required.
Some members of the media have suggested in their news coverage of His Holiness Younus AlGohar’s case that His Holiness’s flights and in-flight purchases were extravagant.
His Holiness Younus AlGohar, despite his personal health issues, chooses to travel economy class. If His Holiness had been concerned about leading a luxurious lifestyle, he would have at least travelled first-class.
This, again, demonstrates His Holiness’s pure intentions and astounding determination to do whatever necessary to further the case of MFI, even at the cost of his own comfort.
It can be clearly seen by anyone who has spent a single day with His Holiness Younus AlGohar that His Holiness lives a simple life in service of others.
We find insinuations to the contrary by some media outlets to be in utter poor taste.
Money Repaid
His Holiness Younus AlGohar was told that he owed £77,000 to the British government. Messiah Foundation International, knowing His Holiness’s innocence and sensitive circumstances, immediately paid the government in full.
In regards to this, Judge Critchlow said, ‘To that extent it cannot be said that there is now financial loss to the authorities in question.’
An Open Letter to the Media
Dear members of the media,
We want to remind you of the power you wield and the responsibilities that come with that power. You can sway your readers’ opinions in an instant. Ask yourself: would you paint a man as an enemy of the public, who quite clearly isn’t, simply for your next big headline?
Irresponsible reporting about His Holiness Younus AlGohar’s benefit case failed to mention crucial facts about the case that would have given the public a clear understanding of what actually happened.
Media outlets, in their coverage of this case, left out the fact that HH Younus AlGohar’s initial benefit claim was valid and had been so for over a decade. Sensationalist headlines only declared that £77,000 was taken from the system, giving little attention to the fact that this money, inadvertently taken, was repaid immediately.
These media outlets also conspicuously refused to comment on His Holiness Younus AlGohar’s efforts to promote interfaith tolerance and de-radicalise our youth with the help of the Goharian Philosophy of Divine Love.
His Holiness is a unique personality whose presence truly benefits our global society during a time when hatred and fanaticism dominate.
He is a strong voice against religious terrorism and extremism. He has gone to great lengths to publicly denounce Islamic terrorism using the scripture and references accepted in Islamic circles. His ability to academically argue for tolerance and peace among all faiths, especially Islam, is extremely rare and invaluable. His Holiness has worked tirelessly to expose the reality of the Wahhabi ideology – the backbone of Islamic terrorism – and presents humanity with its complete opposite: the Goharian Philosophy of Divine Love.
Not only does His Holiness work towards this noble cause in the United Kingdom, but also in communities all over the world. His Holiness’s countless personal sacrifices for this cause have been, unfortunately, ignored.
Indeed, media outlets covering His Holiness Younus AlGohar’s case did not do His Holiness the courtesy of contacting him for a statement before publishing their stories.
We find it deeply disconcerting and disappointing to see someone who is so sincere with mankind painted so carelessly in such a terrible light.
We hope that our efforts to lay out the truth will encourage more responsible reporting.
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