Special Edition: AAIIL(UK) Convention 2009
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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.