The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is launching a unique campaign to reach out to the New Zealand public. It is entitled Peace on Wheels.
The campaign will see the community’s members take to the road, covering thousands of kilometres and attempting to reach the far corners of the country.
“Ignorance breeds doubt, and opportunists will exploit it to create discord in the society, hoping to turn disagreements into conflicts” said Bashir Khan, the President of the Ahmadiyya in New Zealand.
“In today’s world, fanatics exist in all forms, be it misguided Muslims, or their opponents – the actions of terrorists rightly invite condemnation, but people can sometimes forget to differentiate the action of the person from the teaching of the religion,” he said.
“Our response is to proactively counter the negative image of Islam created by both these groups by showing what true Islam means.
“Peace on Wheels is the Ahmadiyya Muslim community’s latest effort to reach out to those communities where knowledge of Islam and Muslims is limited to what one may find on the news and media.
“Sadly, it is the extremists that get the coverage in media, creating negative misconceptions about the religion of Islam.
“It is our sincere hope that campaigns such as this one will help us create an environment encouraging peaceful coexistence amongst all races and religions.”
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is an international revival movement within Islam.
Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) in Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans 210 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions.
The New Zealand branch of this community was established in 1987 and is a registered charitable organisation that endeavours to be an active and integrated community within New Zealand society.
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