FALL RIVER/ENFIELD: A group of 30 Muslim youth were in Atlantic Canada last week spreading the word about Islam during presentations in more than 100 communities, including stops in Fall River and East Hants.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association was bringing its interactive tour named “Explore Islam” to cities and towns in Halifax; Fredericton, N.B.; Saint John, N.B., Moncton, N.B., and Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Through the interactive tour, the youth were participating in two-way dialogue with residents to experience the cultures and perspectives of Atlantic Canadians.
It marked the first time the Muslim Youth has brought their tour to Atlantic Canada, so they weren’t quite sure what to expect.
However, from all accounts up to our interview in Fall River, the response was positive.
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Jari Qudrat said the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is one of the fastest growing sects within Islam, and it is the largest community that’s organized under a single leader His holiness Mr. Ahmed.
“He is constantly reminding us as a Muslim youth that we need to be contributing members of society,” said Qudrat in an interview during the stop to Fall River at a coffee shop. “We need to utilize our energy and our passion towards being productive members of the society that give back to the community.
He said that Mr. Ahmed had said that his heartfelt desire is to serve mankind and give back to mankind.
“So it’s really critical, as Muslim youth, that we dispense our energy and our time on doing things that are beneficial to those around us,” he said.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association as raised more than $1 million in food to help food banks across Canada, especially during the pandemic; give blood donations to Canadian Blood Services; and then bring the youth to communities in Atlantic Canada spreading the peaceful teachings of Islam.
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Usman Ahmed is one of the youth that came to Fall River, and the Atlantic Canadian tour.
“It’s been a great experience so far,” he said. “It’s great to get a lot of sense of brotherhood with everybody else, and also spread the message that I believe in.
I’m also having some very valuable and thoughtful conversations with people and introduce the concept of Islam to people that have never actually heard of it before.”
He said most he had spoken with had not heard of Islam yet.
“A lot of people that I’ve talked about talked to so far, it’s their first time we introduced to Islam,” said Ahmed. “They’re very interested and they’re very open to learning more about it as well.”
Qudrat said it’s a place of unknowns for the Youth Association.
“I think what has been eye opening for us is that we enter this space of unknown, we’ve never been to Atlantic Canada, especially in these numbers,” he said. “We’re coming with a message that may not be as common.
“We met people that had never heard of Islam. This was their first interaction with a Muslim. You can imagine that there’s that little voice inside our head saying ‘I wonder how this is going to go. I hope it goes well.’”
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So far it has gone well, he said.
“We’re seeing that people are overwhelmingly positive in our interactions,” said Qudrat. “You have the odd case every now and then like you would do in anything.
“But we’ve been visiting high schools, libraries, churches, community centers, residential neighborhoods, and constantly time after time, we’re being welcomed with open arms.”
Qudrat was asked why they picked Fall River and East Hants to come visit. There were members handing out pamphlets to those going to the Sobeys in Fall River, and students during the lunch rush hour at the Tim’s to Lockview High students.
“These are very densely populated neighborhoods that are kind of like their own communities, they’re like small pockets and it’s like an entire little civilization,” he said. “Some of the people that we meet, they don’t even know much beyond these communities.
“Even here in Fall River today just before coming to meet you, we just started engaging with some of the local citizens.”
He was hopeful of positive interactions.
“We’re anticipating a very good response here as well,” he said.
For more information, checkout their website ExploreIslam.ca .
