In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.... The HOPE Bulletin... [SPECIAL CENTENARY CONVENTION AT UK EDITION] 18 August, 2009 Editor: Akbar Abdullah CALIFORNIA JAMA AT PROJECT: APPROVED BY THE CENTRAL ANJUMAN, LAHORE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Akbar Abdullah, Editor Alhamdollillah! We are indeed thankful to Brothers Nasir Ahmad and Azhar-ud-Din Ahmad who promptly provided us, for the final supplement on the UK Centenary Convention of 2009, letters of appreciation and messages received from foreign delegates, local members and officials who attended this auspicious Convention. Jazak Allah! The excellent photographs accompanying this issue are courtesy Dr. HSM Boedhoe of Rotterdam, Netherlands. On the third day, Dr. Boedhoe is seen wearing a red robe. We are grateful to Hazrat Ameer-i-Qaum Professor Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha Sahib, whose presence at the Convention generated an aura of spiritual fragrance, reminiscent of the bond and affection of his strong spiritual leadership and the followers of this noble worldwide Jama at. Jazak Allah! The foreign delegates hailed from several countries including Australia, Canada, Fiji, Germany, Holland, Pakistan, Suriname and the United States of America. We appreciate Br. A. S Santoe Sahib s keen effort in bringing with him the largest contingent of delegates from Holland. Jazak Allah. Br. Santoe Sahib expressed great satisfaction about the organizers of the UK Convention. It gives us great pleasure to also appreciate the presence of Br. Mehboob Raza Sahib of Fiji and Br. Sadr-ud- Din Sahu Khan from Australia, both of whom travelled more than half way around the world to participate in this spiritual event. Their participation energized organizers of the Convention. Jazak Allah. May Allah bless them. We equally hail the presence of delegates from other countries. Ameen. Of the several medical doctors available, two Dr. Mujahid Ahmad Saeed and Dr. Jawad Ahmad were assigned to look after the medical needs of the foreign delegates. Alhamdollillah! With the grace of Allah, no delegate needed any medical assistance. Allah, with His bountiful mercy and graceful blessings kept all the foreign participants in good health and spirit. We are grateful to our dear Sis. Jameela Khan, President of AAIIL UK, Mrs. Fareida Ibrahim, Events Manager, and the host of young organizers whose names we have acknowledged earlier, for their professional handling of programmes which made the deliberations of this Convention a great success. May Allah bless them and reward them for their sacrifices and dedication. Ameen.
Sis. Bano Anwar Sahiba, who is in charge of the London Mission and who was seen working tirelessly with the ladies of the UK Jama at to ensure that everyone was properly fed and that the needs of the guests staying at the Mission House were promptly met during the days of the Convention and even afterwards, deserves praise. May Allah (swt) bless her and reward her for her khidmat and personal sacrifice for the cause of our Jama at. Ameen. We highly appreciate Br. Azhar-ud-Din Ahmad of Woking, son of our worthy elder Mian Fakhar-ud-Din Ahmad Sahib of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, who played a pivotal role in the arrangements of the second day s arrangements and programme at Woking. Moreover, the visiting delegates and the local members were hosted by him to lunch and dinner. May Allah bless him and his family for their kind hospitality. Last, but not the least, my wife Parveen and I would like to thank Hazrat Ameer, the UK Jama at, Sis. Jameela Khan, and the ladies of the UK Jama at for their cordiality and the warm welcome given to us. [My wife was given an equally warm welcome earlier on her visit to the AAIIL Fiji Jama at at Masjid Noor, Suva.] We are also grateful to Br. Shahid Aziz and Sis. Riffat Aziz for their kind hospitality. May Allah (swt) bless them all. Ameen. MESSAGES AND APPRECIATION Jameela Khan, President, AAIIL (UK) This, my final message concerning our convention, is addressed: (1) particularly to those delegates who attended, (2) to those who tuned in during the programmes, (3) to those who showed interest, and took the trouble to let us know their reactions. Let me begin by thanking Mr Akbar Abdullah, Editor of The HOPE, for allowing us to use this medium to send out invitations to all the Jama ats, to inform delegates about what was required of them, printing the three-day programmes, and later, to receive and publish letters and comments. Hazrat Ameer proved to be the great inspiration for us by making himself available, giving advice and taking a leading role each day. Mr Amir Aziz, the General Secretary of the Central Anjuman, Lahore, also shared his expertise and knowledge with dexterity. The U.K. Jama at were very fortunate to have the vast experience of our Events Manager, Mrs Fareida Ibrahim, without whom the day to day organisation and running of the Convention would have been impossible. Delegates from Fiji and Australia in the east to California and Vancouver in the west, and all the countries in between, mainly Pakistan, Holland, Germany, Canada and the West Indies : You are the ones who responded to the call to commemorate the 100 th death anniversary of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in the UK and made your way to London, so that this Jama at can forge new links and strengthen ties to further the cause of Islam. We thank you sincerely for your letters of appreciation on your return home. From our records, 15000 people listened in, some in the early hours of the morning or very late at night. This is an encouraging indicator concerning the extent to which technology was used to fulfil our ambition to propagate our views globally. We were pleased to receive telephonic messages from you live during the webcasts. 2
The U.K. Jama at is grateful, and I mean this very sincerely, to all of you, in your various capacities, who contributed towards the resounding success of the Convention from 10 th to 12 th July 2009 in London. May Allah continue to bless you and your families, and keep the light of this Movement burning brightly, because the true picture of Islam presented by the Movement is what is needed in the world today, when extremist attitudes among a small section of Muslims have tainted the fair name of Islam as a Message of Peace within and Peace to all Mankind. Nasir Ahmad, UK Angels worked at the Convention When I attended the last three meetings of the organising committee of the UK Jama at for the Convention and listened to the details, such as registration of guests; security arrangements; parking at the Mission House; having a canopy in the backyard of the Mission House with tables and chairs for food; receiving of guests at Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick airports; taking the guests to Travel Lodge Central and Travel Lodge Hasten; shifting of stuff from the Mission House, London to Church Hall, Cornerstone Centre, Woking; holding of the interfaith meeting at Hilton Cobham Hotel, Woking; arrangements for the Sunday meeting; bookstall and garments stall at Clay Oven Banqueting Suit; and finally departures partly on Sunday evening and then on the following days, I was very concerned about how a handful of people would be able to manage all that. But Mrs. J. Khan took the first important step by appointing Sis. Fareida Ibrahim as the Events Manager. When I saw her handing over a series of planning sheets to all concerned, and the way she conducted meetings and actively participated in the day-to-day working, it was a great relief for all involved in the organisation of the Convention. The ship of the Convention started a smooth sailing with Mrs. Khan as the Anchor, Sis. Fareida Ibrahim as its Captain, and Sis. Bano Anwar as Second-in-Command. Various responsibilities were shared, as follows: Video and transmission: Mr. Mudassar Aziz, Dr. Mujahid Saeed, Dr. Obaidullah Saeed and Mr. Haider Zafar. Preparation and printing of invitations, programme and other material: Dr. Zahid Aziz, Sis Fareida Ibrahim and Mrs. Riffat Aziz. Conveyance and reception: Mr. Azhar-ud-Din Ahmad, Dr. Jawad Ahmad, Mr. Hamad Ahmad, Mr. Tahir Waseem, Mr. Khayyam Zafar, Mr. Arjumand Sadiq and Miss Habiba Anwar. Even at times Sis Fareida shuttled between hotels and the Mission House. Catering and food distribution: Mrs. Bano Anwar, Mrs. Riffat Aziz, Mrs. Fauqia Aziz, Mr. and Mrs. Mushtaq Ali, Mrs. Musarrat Saqib and Mrs. Zuraida Hamzad. Bookstall: Mr. Anis Ahmad. Garments stall: Mrs. Erum Ahmad and Mrs. Tehmina Aziz. Security: Mr. Adam Saqib, his friends and his brothers. Time keeper: Mr. Faizaan Ahmad. 3
Volunteers: Mr. Abdul Rahman Sadiq (Canada), Miss Rabia Sadiq and Huma Sadiq (Pakistan), Miss Nausheen Sadiq (Canada), Mr. Afzal Sadiq (Pakistan), Miss Tasneem Sadiq, Mr. Taimur Sadiq, Mr. Basharat Saeed, Mr. Mathar Saeed and Mr. Inshaal Ahmad (UK). The messages and letters of appreciation being reproduced in this edition of the Bulletin would bear me out that the organisation and arrangements were meticulous and perfect. Evidently prayers worked and inspired workers with zeal and devotion more than anything else. May Allah bless them all. Arshad and Bushra Alvi, Darus Salaam Colony, Lahore, Pakistan Dearest Participants of the U.K. Convention, Assalamo alaikum. Accept our best wishes on holding the Centenary Convention to commemorate the 100th death anniversary of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. In the past hundred years many new facts of history and archaeological evidence have come to the surface to vindicate the truth of the stand of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement regarding the Holy Prophet Jesus that he did not die on the Cross. And thus the myth of his second coming has no ground to stand on. Even the alleged blemishes heaped on him regarding his relationship with Mary Magdalene have now been proved to be baseless. What the Holy Qur an said 1500 years ago about Prophet Jesus birth, death and his chastity of character stand vindicated today. All this research has been done by Christian scholars themselves. The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in all sincerity wanted to bring Judaism, Christianity and Islam closer by disproving myths and misconceptions ascribed to the founders of these great religions of the world. O Allah! Let this Convention be a source of light equivalent to hundred candles to guide people still groping in darkness to follow the true message and guidance revealed through the Holy Qur an. On this auspicious occasion we recall the selfless services of the stalwarts of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement rendered and try to pass on zeal and devotion to the coming generation. May Allah be with you all and bless you for attending this Convention being held in the UK. May our mission continue to grow. Ameen. Professor and Mrs Angell, UK Dear Azhar and Samira I am writing to thank you for the wonderful welcome that was afforded to Ian and myself yesterday. It was a great privilege to be invited to attend your Centenary celebrations, the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam Lahore (UK). We very much appreciated being included in your special event. It was a wonderful occasion which was very enjoyable and a great success. The speakers were extremely interesting and their presentations were most thought provoking. 4
It was an honour to meet Dr A K Saeed and other guests and in particular, Mrs Khan, who chaired the proceedings with such grace. Such a conference takes a huge amount of organising. I know that you both worked tirelessly over a long period of time to make the weekend a success. I am sure that you must be thrilled with the way the conference was received as the atmosphere was exciting, positive and also happy and celebratory. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and a part of your community; your kindness is very much appreciated. Thank you also for the beautiful gifts. The trophy will take pride of place on my desk and be cherished always. On behalf of the Woodham and New Haw Community I would like to thank you for all that you do to help local residents. Please feel free to involve me in any way possible in the future. Amir Aziz, General Secretary, AAII Lahore, Pakistan Dear brother Azhar Ahmad sahib Assalamu Alikum.... I thank and congratulate you and Bhabi Sumaira for all that you did for the Jama at and for us. We all appreciate you for your efforts in making the Convention successful and memorable for us all. We also appreciate the time you spared for us. Dr HSM Boedhoe, Rotterdam, Netherlands Dear Brother Nasir Assalaamo alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Thanks for the quick response. You want to know more about me. It is an honour for me to introduce myself. H stands indeed for Harry, S for Sahied, and M for Mumtazali. My parents gave me this beautiful name. I am a medical doctor and am working in a psychiatric hospital in the High Care unit. The Convention was wonderful and most enjoyable. The experience of togetherness and spiritual and knowledgeable lectures were beyond imagination. Sometimes when I had time to relax and start to think what I experienced and tried to figure out what was that I liked the most in the Convention in a nutshell it was something similar to the togetherness and spirituality which one experiences during the Hajj, Masha Allah!! Of course nothing can be compared to the Hajj experience, and especially some of those experiences like the precincts of the Holy Mosque, the grandeur and spiritual hallow of the Holy Ka bah etc. All the time and everywhere and between everybody there was so much love, peace, sincerity and intimacy. I thought a lot about what made it different and what made me feel so comfortable. In fact, it was that everyone was somebody, everyone had the attention of the organisation with respect, and everyone could meet anybody. 5
Even Hazrat Amir was everywhere, anyone could meet and talk to him, and everybody could meet with everybody freely. Hazrat Amir mixed with everybody men, women and children even security men. And so did all of you. At the Convention there was love and friendliness everywhere and everybody was reachable and showed respect or received respect. All of you worked with uniformity and perfection. The quality and arrangements of every item from reception to food and meetings were excellent. You all worked hard to provide us every comfort and deep thoughts to think over in the light of the Qur an and the Hadith. What also touched me much was that on various occasions every member and all delegates got gifts which showed that organisers wished to respect everybody and everybody was equally honoured. The food was great! On Sunday it was like a 5 star hotel! I don t know who cooked and served. But on all three days I would like to express my special thanks to Aunty Anwar, her daughter Habiba, and everyone who helped them, because a lot of cooking and serving was visible for me at the Mission House and these ladies looked like they never got tired or annoyed. The drivers were excellent also and they seemed never to get tired or annoyed and I can tell that there were a lot of occasions for them to get both tired and annoyed. The topics and the line-up of the speakers, their quality and speaking skill were great except one guy from Rotterdam named Boedhoe or something like that! I think that such a big Convention can only be organised with the help and cooperation of everybody and not of the organisation only. I also tried to help, but I m ashamed now to mention the minimal effort I made. I did take photos which I would like to share with you. As soon as it is possible I will send them to you through photo album or otherwise. I hope I have not bored you with such a long email. I will stop now. Khuda Hafiz. Nasir Ahmad Butt, Sutton, Surrey, UK My dear Nasir Ahmad Sahib Asslamo alaikum wa Rahmatullah. I wanted to write to congratulate you and Sadr Sahiba Mrs Jameela Khan and the rest of your team for organising such a successful Centenary Convention for the UK Jamaat. I was very pleased to have attended yesterday. Apart from enjoying the speeches I particularly enjoyed the company of so many members with whom I became an instant friend, which has always been the true character and benefits of our Jamaat gatherings. This was particularly spiritual for me as I had never before sat down in the company of Hazrat Amir Sahib of the Jamaat. I am told that I had sat with and received Shafqat from late Hazrat Maulana Sadr-ud-Din Sahib when I was a very young child in Lahore, but unfortunately I cannot remember this. Though I remember how everyone spoke so highly of the late Hazrat Sahib and his speeches when I was very young. So yesterday brought a particular pleasure that was afforded to me on this occasion. I was very impressed with the 6
humbleness and approachability of Hazrat Ameer Sahib. I hope to meet him again soon and seek his prayers for me and my family Inshallah. So thank you again and I would be most grateful if you and other members of the Jamaat remember me in your prayers and keep me informed of your activities. If I can be of any service then please let me have the honour and contact me. Till we meet again. Humbly yours with affection. Henk Gadjahar, Rotterdam, Holland The first thing that struck me and my group was the hospitality of everyone involved. Our pick-up at the airport, the drive to our hotel, the transportation to the venues: everything was well organized, and everybody was very friendly. We talked about this afterwards, how much time and effort must have been spent to organize a convention like this. Our compliments to all the people who helped in making this weekend memorable. The first day was interesting, although we were all a bit tired. (It was due to our flight, which left early on Friday morning.) It was especially nice to hear reports from all over the world, about the state of affairs in different countries. Normally, during our daily pursuits, our thoughts are confined in space and time: we deal with the present, and things that are near us. A weekend such as this one widens one horizon: we think about / reflect upon the history of our movement, and meet like-minded people. It was really an inspiring event. The second day was also instructive. When hearing other people talk about their religion, one realizes that, in a way, we all share something in common: the desire to live in harmony, with ourselves, and with the people around us. Some may argue that such an inter-faith dialogue doesn t amount too much, because the persons present will never agree upon who is right, and who is wrong. To me, however, this is not the most important thing. Just by organizing the dialogue, and by being present, one acknowledges that everyone has got their own truth, and that such a thing is to be respected. Even if you don t agree with someone, it is still possible to differ in opinion in a civilized manner. Keeping in mind the current political situation in the Netherlands, especially the last thing mentioned is not to be taken for granted. The presentations on the third day were fascinating. But due to time constraint situation in Netherlands could not be discussed in true perspective. We have one regret about the weekend programme, that we were not able to stay till the end. To sum up: we went on a journey, but once arrived in London, we felt like coming home. Ahamed Hosein, Toronto, Canada Brother Nasir Ahmad & the Members of the UK Jama at, Assalamo alaikum. 7
I did reach home safely and planned to do a presentation to the Toronto Jama at next Sunday outlining the success of the Convention in London. I must say honestly that I greatly appreciate the hospitality and warmth of your Jama at members. I felt as if we were one big family striving and competing with one another in promoting goodness and the cause of Islam. The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, under divine inspiration a hundred years ago, entrusted to us the task of promoting the cause of Islam through literature and noble efforts. The kind of Jihad advocated by the Holy Founder has proved today to be the only effective weapon against the opponents of Islam. May Allah keep us united and enable us to defend the personality of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the message of Islam with more vigour and conviction. It was my first visit to the UK Jama at and I hope would not be my last, Inshaallah. The programme was second to none and all the speakers had a special message for us. When it was all said and done the end came too quickly. Just having Hazrat Ameer Sahib amongst us was an inspiration for us all. He always had a kind word to say to us. The blend of the elders and the younger speakers made us understand that the future of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement would, Inshallah, always be in good hands. I can safely say that it was the best assembly of Ahmadis I attended, working together for the progress of Islam. The Convention was very well planned and organised by the UK Jama at. May Allah shower His choicest blessings on you all. I am getting the HOPE Bulletin by Bro. Akbar Abdullah. Allah Hafiz. Rajah Hussain, Surrey Police Community Engagement Officer, UK Dear Brother Azhar-ud-Din Ahmad, Assalamo alaikum Thank you. It was a pleasure to attend the 11th July Convention and I found it to be a good inter-faith community cohesion event. The experience was of value and a great opportunity to learn about different faiths. Supporting multi-faith dialogue as well as cultural and historical awareness, including promoting exhibitions, is within the remit of my role and I would like to encourage and support more of the same within North Surrey. In due course, I would also like to support safe spaces for debate; examples of places could be in Faith Venues, Community Centres, education establishments (schools, colleges and universities).... For this reason I was able to come away from the convention with confidence that these types of events can be successful. I also received a message today about another convention Love For all, Hatred for None in Hampshire over the weekend. Does this also include an inter-faith dialogue? Due to the short notice I don t think I will be able to make it. I am more than happy to meet yourself or another person who has ties with North Surrey to explain more of the new Community Engagement Officer role in supporting Surrey Police to have better links and relations with 8
its communities as well as how the Ahmadiyya Movement and Surrey Police can support each other. Many thanks again. Maulana Mustapha K. Hydal, B.A., Missionary for Trinidad & Canada A-salaamu alaikum. On behalf of the Religious Head, Mr. Jaleelul Rahaman, the President, Mrs. Farida Mohammed, the Executive Committee and the entire membership of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha at-i-islam Inc. Trinidad, we wish you Allah s blessings for a successful Convention. Please convey these sentiments to the President and members of the UK Ahmadiyya Anjuman. It is our hope that the proceedings will be video taped and made available to those of us who could not be there. We in Trinidad, especially, recall our presence at the 1975 Convention in UK during challenging times for the Ahmadiyya Movement worldwide. We cannot forget our mentor, the late Maulana S.M Tufail who initiated these conventions to bring Ahmadis in the Western world out of their isolation and develop a sense of belonging to a wider fraternity of Lahore Ahmadis. While we are unable to send an official delegation from Trinidad we are pleased to note the active participation of some of our members who now reside in the UK. It is our expectations that in the near future Lahore Ahmadis would emerge from a situation of primarily servicing our own Jama at members to focus more on outreach programmes in conveying Islam and message of Ahmadiyya Movement to the wider world. Our experience indicates that although Muslims and even our own members possess and do read the Qur an themselves; there are constant requests for intelligent interpretation and application of the teachings of the Qur an in the modern context. Our youths, especially, crave for the Qur an in practice through dedicated Muballighs and pious elders. We will soon be informing you of our approach to conveying Islam in a world that has changed dramatically since the death of our Founder, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a hundred years ago in 1908. We still find in his writings relevant and unique approaches to promoting the truth of the Qur an. We look forward to this Convention enhancing the commitment of Ahmadis throughout the world to rally around the Great Imam of the present times, Hazrat Mirza Ghulaam Ahmad, by their active and dedicated service to Islam with their persons and their other resources. May Allah bless us all as we use all that Allah has blessed us with. Was-salaam. Major (R) Ayub Khokar, Milton Keynes, UK (A regular contributor on Pakistan and its social problems) Mukarram Nasir Ahmad Sahib, 9
Assalamo alaikum. Wish you all the best on the auspicious occasion of commemorating the centenary of the passing away of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) and of reviving of your Motto of peace: I Shall Love All Mankind. May all the success come forth for you and your members. With kind regards. Col. (R) Shaukat Mahmood, USA My dear Brothers and Sisters of the UK Jama at and foreign delegates Assalamo Alaikum. I wish to tell you a little bit about myself, how I became the Imam for the Anjuman in London, what was my focus of work and what I gained from my experience. When I was a young man, there was an appeal from the late Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ali for people to give their time to the service of Islam. He specifically mentioned those Ahmadis who were in government service, especially after they had taken their retirement. I was in the government service at that time. And from then onwards, I always had it in my mind to respond to his appeal whenever the opportunity came. When I retired, I took some time to arrange my personal affairs. I wanted to have my finances arranged in such a way that I was able to support myself and my family during my missionary work without needing any outside assistance from either the Jama at or anyone else. During this time one of the elders of our Jama at, the late Mian Naseer Ahmad Farooqui Sahib, always asked me, Shaukat Mian, when will you do this? Are you going to do it or have you forgotten about it? I always replied that I would. Soon after I had taken care of my personal affairs, an offer came from the Anjuman to serve as an Imam in London for the UK Jama at. Our Hazrat Amir at that time, the late Dr. Saeed Ahmad Khan Sahib, asked me whether I would l be able to do it as an honorary work. I replied that I would and that I would not depend on the Anjuman for any financial support. Throughout my stay in London as the Imam I tried to help and guide whosoever I came in contact with. In all my presentations and wherever I went, I impressed on everyone the importance of the message of the Ahmadiyya Movement. It is not a sect like others; it is a Movement to work for the future of Islam. This message was explained by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. It was first to strengthen our relationship with Allah through prayers and make a sincere effort to become a true Muslim and then to convey the message to others. In this way it will have not only impact on others but Allah will bless your noble efforts. When I became the Imam in London I neither had any background in being an Imam nor any extensive study in the subject. I had a strong desire to do service in the cause of Islam and that too for the benefit of my own soul. When I left the position of Imam, I left with peace in my heart and with good memories of my time with the Anjuman. I would like to end my message with a verse of the Holy Quran which is near and dear to my heart: And your Lord says: Pray to Me, I shall answer you (40:60). 10
Prayer is the hallmark of our Jama at and the Holy Founder of the Movement has not only emphasized its importance but has demonstrated his personal experience. God has always answered my prayers by helping me throughout my life, and especially by giving me the opportunity to be of service to the cause of Islam and our Jama at, which is carrying the mission of the Founder of the Movement. Kalamazad Mohammed, Ahmadiyya Muslim Literary Trust, Trinidad and Tobago Dear esteemed brothers and sisters, Assalamu Alaikum. I take this opportunity to send a message to my fellow Ahmadi brothers and sisters to remind all of the noble responsibilities that Allah, Most High, has bestowed on us when He chose us to be followers of the Imam of the Age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, especially at a period when hatred against Mirza Sahib has surfaced again, this time with renewed virulence and animosity. Common decency has been cast aside as opponents, sad to say, from among the Muslim community have resorted to the most vile and wicked slander against this holy personage who was sent by Allah Himself to restore to these very Muslims the glory of Islam. What a recurring irony of history! However, although it is a heavy responsibility to be an Ahmadi, it is also a supreme privilege to be counted on High as a true devotee of the Mujaddid of the fourteenth century, for he himself has listed a number of resplendent qualities that the special friends of the Almighty possess. I shall present just three of these: 1. They are bestowed pure love of the Divine which cannot be perceived by people of this world. 2. Their hearts are governed by a sort of fear, due to which their obedience takes the subtlest form, and they are afraid lest the Eternal Mind is displeased. 3. Allah, Most High, becomes their Custodian and treats them more mercifully than a parent would treat his child. May we always keep in mind, therefore, the responsibility and the privilege of being Ahmadis and may Allah, Most High, continue to bless us with extraordinary steadfastness (sabr) to enable us to prepare the way for the final triumph of Islam over all ideologies. The truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish (17:81). Ramchandra Naidu, Malaysia On July 11, 2009, I had the privilege of participating in the above Convention. It was an opportunity for me to hear eminent scholars explain the wisdom and consistency of Islam as a religion of peace and its total rejection of violence. However, due to the unfortunate activities of individuals and groups associating themselves with Islam, its purity has been tainted. That by no means can justify their activities under the tenets of Islam and that has become the task of the true believers to explain to the world. The people at large need to see the beauty and practical wisdom of Islam as a peaceful religion so that they will, by their own judgment, isolate those hostile elements as ignorant and misled individuals. 11
The efforts of the committed Muslims the world over in achieving this objective is obviously bearing fruit. The president of the United States, Barrack Obama, has categorically recognised Islam and its true character, and has publicly said so in no uncertain terms in the middle of the Muslim world during his visit to the Middle East recently. I can imagine the tremendous effort and sacrifices of individuals in the organising committee to make this Convention a success, and also to be a perfect host to the participants. There can be no doubt that on both counts they were successful. Congratulations. And thank you for the opportunity afforded to me to participate. Sharda Poese, President, Amsterdam Jama at, Holland Dear Bro. Arjumand and family, Assalamo alaikum.... It was an honour for me to express my feelings at the Convention and the role Ahmadi women are playing in the promotion of its objectives. It was a very fruitful Convention and I am glad that I have met Hazrat Ameer and members from other countries. It was a pleasant opportunity to meet you, your family, officials and members of the UK Jama at. You all were so kind and hospitable that I feel like going back soon to London. With warm regards! Fareed Rahman, UK My dear Azhar Sahib, Assalamo alaikum I hope you are well by the grace of Allah. I attended the AAIIL Convention on Saturday 11th July 2009. I must say I really enjoyed the day, and found the Ahmadi brethren to be friendly and generous. Jazakallah. Please keep me informed about any other similar events in the future. Another thing I wanted to say is that, as you recall, I am from Jamaat-e-Rabwa and we are holding our annual Jalsa this weekend. I wanted to know if you received an invitation for the event. Muhammad Yaseen Sahu Khan, Vancouver, Canada In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. The international Islamic convention hosted by the AAIIL UK from 10 th to 12 th July 2009 to commemorate the centenary of the passing away of the Mujaddid-e-Azam, Masih-e-Maoud, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, was undoubtedly a tremendous success. The handful of dedicated and God-fearing members of the UK Jama at in many aspects strove to the best of their abilities to outshine numerous such conventions hosted the world over and truly proved to be those who could rightly be decorated by the epithet Mujahideen. The UK Jama at members highly educated, intelligent, sincere, honest, truly religious and well versed with the knowledge of the Qur an had rendered their sincere services and tried to bring peace, harmony and tranquillity to the minds and hearts of all those present throughout the entire Convention. 12
There was no wastage of time, no complaint and not a dead moment as all, according to the programme, were ably carried to perfection. Alhamdollillah! The highlights of the Convention were, firstly, the wonderful speeches delivered by various learned and eloquent speakers on a variety of well-chosen topics. And secondly, the inter-faith symposium in the light of the Scriptures of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism, wherein respective representatives explicitly expounded their views and beliefs was quite educative. Thirdly, the wonderful sight-seeing tour of various historical and scenic places arranged for the delegates under the able and pleasant guidance of Miss Habiba Anwar. Of all the places, the world renowned Shah Jehan Mosque and the Lightbox Museum at Woking were inspiring and impressive. Dr. Zahid s brief comments about the history and work of the Woking Muslim Mission were quite educative. In fact, the Convention and its events were so impressive that at the conclusion I offered two rak ats of nafal prayer and lay in prostration before Allah and cried out my heart for this bounty and blessing of Allah. The inauguration of the Convention was done with great solemnity by our revered Hazrat Ameer, Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed Pasha Sahib, and the whole Convention was so ably organised and conducted by our devoted sisters, Mrs. Jameela Khan, President, AAIIL UK, and the young Event Manager, Sister Fareida Ibrahim, and their band of dedicated workers, including young boys and girls. And the sterling services rendered by Sister Jameela Khan and Sister Bano Anwar for the UK Mission for past many decades are incomparable and must not be forgotten. They truly deserve the title of Sitara-e-Khidmat. The Convention on the whole was a great success and the UK Jama at is a beacon light for all those seeking to tread the path of righteousness and service to the cause of Islam. Hearty congratulations to all the members of AAIIL UK Jama at. May the Almighty Allah grant us all guidance, patience, wisdom and a strong conviction of faith and grant us continued assistance to keep the banner of Islam and Ahmadiyyat flying high in the West forever. Ameen. Councillor James Vickers, Mayor of Elmbridge, UK The Mayoress and myself enjoyed meeting you and your wife, Samira and children on Saturday. Thank you all for making us feel so welcome on arrival, the flowers are beautiful, and for looking after us so well at the Convention. We enjoyed very much being with you and all your friends at a most interesting meeting and listening to the many speakers telling us about their faith. All so different and yet each and everyone, spelling a clear message of love, friendship and treading a similar path, towards a common goal. We all may tread different paths of approach, but there are so many similarities in our beliefs, search for truth and leading a good way of life, that it is very welcoming to hear it being spoken of in such an honest and humbling way. Although I am fairly familiar with most of the faiths talked about on Saturday, I still found myself learning very much more about each one and found it most interesting. I could have listened to more. It was a great pleasure to meet and talk to Prof. Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed. What a nice and charming man and I could have continued listening to him speaking, but he was untimely (or timely?) stopped, almost in mid-flow! It was an honour to meet him. 13
Your President Mrs Khan is a truly delightful lady and we very much enjoyed meeting her too. She has a lovely sense of humour and is a truly delightful person, who quickly put us at ease and made us feel welcome at this splendid International gathering of so many people honouring your Founder. She Chaired the day extremely well, with good humour and much grace, making us all feel part of one body. We were so sorry that we had to leave so soon, as we wanted to hear more and speak with many of your friends, but do hope you understood our time problem. I do hope the third day, Sunday and last meeting for the Convention went well. I feel sure it did and everyone enjoyed the whole three day event and the various celebrations. Please give my very best wishes to Dr Abdul Karim and Mrs Khan and also to your goodself and Mrs Ahmed. Thank you all so very much. Fiona Webster, UK Hi Samira I just wanted to let you know that I thought the meeting on Saturday 11th July was very good and such a great idea, as it seems to be so difficult for different religions to communicate sometimes. It s such a worthwhile cause bringing the focus on to being open about religion. I m sure that most of the people there are already very open-minded and it gives permission to be able to perhaps be a bit more open about religion in normal day-to-day life and expand on each other s beliefs to show how similar a lot of the fundamental beliefs of religion are. In this way, hopefully the positive feeling will become more widespread, which I m sure is the aim. I feel very strongly that there is no reason to just communicate with others who have the same religion as you, so I think the meeting on Saturday will inspire people to perhaps be even more open minded. Many thanks and best regards. 14
PHOTOGRAPHIC PRESENTATION First day activities of UK Convention 15
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Second day activities of UK Convention 22
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Third day activities of UK Convention 26
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CONTACT INFORMATION Akbar Abdullah Editor, The HOPE Bulletin Mailing Address: P.O. Box A2127 211 South Clark Street Chicago, IL 60690, U.S.A. E-mail Address: akbar_786us@yahoo.com Telephone Number: (773) 539-6892 Facsimile Number: (773) 539-9975 32