JEDDAH,
June 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The sixth exhibition of Da`wah
tools opened Tuesday, June 14, in the southern Saudi city of Abha with
the participation of 86 Islamic bodies.
Organized
by the Saudi Ministry of Waqfs and Da`wah, the "Be A Da`I
(Islamic preacher)" exhibition is aimed at educating da`is about
how to preach Islamic values through 121 effective tools and put them
on the right path.
"We
will set up a special pavilion of state-of-the-art da`wah tools
and explain how the da`is can make the best use of them to keep
abreast with the latest technologies," said Sheikh Abdel Rahman
Bin Ghannam Al-Ghannam, the ministry's undersecretary for da`wah
affairs and deputy chairman of the fair's organizing committee.
He
added that the ministry is planning to hand out 100,000 copies of a
pamphlet on the 121 da`wah tools to the exhibition audience.
Chairman
of the organizing committee Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabban told the Okaz
daily that the audience can get their information on da`wah through
PowerPoint presentations and available computers.
He
said representatives of da`wah bodies participating in the
exhibition will use more than one language in their presentations for
the sake of foreign audience.
Sheikh
Al-Sabban, also undersecretary of the Ministry of Waqfs and Da`wah,
added that the 11-day fair would organize daily contests on da`wah
for willing audience.
Chief
among the participants are the Muslim World League, Islamic Relief,
and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) along with Saudi
government bodies like the ministries of information, social affairs
and the Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil authority.
Recognized
as the world's most important da`wah event, past exhibitions,
hosted by the Saudi cities of Riyadh, Ad-Dammam, Al-Qasim and Jeddah,
attracted an audience of 850,000 people.
Religious
Discourse
WAMY
Secretary General Saleh Al-Wohaibi said religious discourse and media
have been playing a key role in revealing the true essence of Islam as
a moderate religion.
"We
have to reconsider our da`wah priorities, turn the focus on
moderate Islam and eschew extremism, but without bowing to external
pressures and give up our values," he told IslamOnline.net on the
sidelines of the opening ceremony.
Wohaibi
said the exhibition is important for guiding potential da`is,
who might be a bit confused and do not know how to start.
"The
exhibition provides them with necessary books, multi-lingual
brochures, audio and video tapes, CDs and a host of da`wah Web
sites," he added.
Ibrahim
Bin Naser Al-Hammoud, deputy head of the Higher Judicial Institute,
said da`wah exhibitions are giving a "beaming" image
of Islam and highlight the pivotal role played by da`is.
But
he called for giving a second reading to da`wah plans to
overcome weak points and loopholes.
Adnan
Bin Khalil Basha, the Secretary General of Islamic Relief, said his
organization has been a committed participant in da`wah
exhibitions for the past five years as it considers the event an ample
opportunity to spotlight its da`wah efforts and miscellaneous
activities.
