Miami had already hosted two very successful events in the month of March. It was befitting to hold the same at St Matthew as it offered a great opportunity to discuss contemporary issues relating to Islam and dispel the myths about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
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| Photo: Mansura Minhas |
Source/Credit: Miami Islam Examiner
By Mansura Minhas | June 26, 2013
Father James Quinn of St Matthew Catholic Church in Hallandale Beach first met Missionary in charge Imam Muhammad Saeed Khalid and Mr. Munawar Chaudhry, President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community-Miami and at the National Day of Prayer Observance at the Hallandale Beach City Hall on May 2. During the course of the conversation, Father Quinn extended them an invitation to visit St Matthew.
Further communication and meetings panned out to an event at the Church premises. The goal was to inform the congregation about Islam and its basic tenants. Father Quinn extended a hand of friendship towards Ahmadiyya Muslim Community because he felt the urgency to bring the peaceful message of Islam to his congregation –and fill the information gap that exists. The need to foster understanding between Muslims and Christians was never greater. The world is riddled with chaos and turmoil and the responsibility lies upon religious leaders to work towards peace in the society. Filling the information void is integral to fostering harmony and building bridges between faiths.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA’s nationwide “Muhammad: Messenger of Peace” campaign is an effort to educate Americans about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Miami had already hosted two very successful events in the month of March. It was befitting to hold the same at St Matthew as it offered a great opportunity to discuss contemporary issues relating to Islam and dispel the myths about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The congregation of St Matthew mainly comprises of North Easterners who have a second home in South Florida. It was heartening to see the guests flock in as the time for the conference approached. The harsh weather and thunderstorms did not deter them; more than 100 people including 50+ members of St Matthews were seated as the event proceeded.
The program started with a recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Muhammad Danial. It was followed by the translation that was delivered by Usama Chaudhry. Father James Quinn in his remarks talked about the efforts of various Catholic Popes in the past to foster harmony with Muslims. He reiterated that the quest must continue so that the two major faiths can shed the animosities of the past and work towards peaceful coexistence.
A brief video introduction of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was presented. It was followed by the keynote address of the evening. Dr Taha Shaikh presented a comprehensive power point that addressed key facts about Islam, Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the contemporary issues such as Jihad, blasphemy, Shariah Law and women’s rights.
An engaging Q&A session followed. There were many questions regarding the status of Prophet Jesus and his mother Mary in Islam. The panelist answered them succinctly and eloquently with pertinent references from the Holy Quran and examples from the life of Holy Prophet (pbuh).
The unanimous feedback to the event was overwhelmingly positive. Guests were genuinely impressed with the quality of the presentation and some candidly admitted that they had never heard these amazing facts about Islam. Some said that their understanding about Islam was limited to its portrayal in the media and hoped that such interactive and positive sessions were highlighted as they are fundamental to showing the true face of Islam.
The event concluded with a silent prayer.
Read original post here: St Matthew Catholic Church extends a hand of friendship to Muslim neighbors
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