The New Zealand chapter of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at – which was founded as a religious movement in India in the 19th century (1889) and originated by the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) – bought its campaign True Islam NZ to the Garden City last month.
The campaign included a day-long-exhibition of the holy Quran in 45 languages including Te Reo Maori, as well as other books to highlight the true Islamic teachings.
Mr Mustenser Qamar, an Iman who came to New Zealand from the UK three years ago, and is one of the main initiators of the campaign, also took three short seminars during the day on Quran and Terrorism to “help remove misconceptions and build bridges”.
Reflecting on the success of the campaign, the exhibition organisers noted in a Facebook post, “The Holy Quran Exhibition alongside the three 30-minute seminars on the 'Quran and Terrorism' in Christchurch proved to be a great success.
There were 110 visitors throughout the day including three MPs, a counsellor, many academics and professionals.
The majority of comments and feedback regarding the event were very positive. Many people took copies of the Holy Quran and other literature too and had their questions on Islam answered.
Through education and understanding, one can differentiate between the actions of extremists and the teachings of the faith. Find out more about our campaign of education by visiting our website www.trueislam.nz.”