Dr Amtul Qudoos Farhat, Regional Naib Sadr, Lajna Imaillah Alberta, Canada
Lajna Imaillah Alberta Region organised interfaith symposia at three locations; Edmonton, Airdrie and Lloydminster, from 26 to 30 April 2023, on the theme of “Empowerment of women through Faith”.
The first symposium was held in Edmonton on 26 April. Lajna Imaillah of Edmonton East and Edmonton West organised the event at the gymnasium hall adjacent to the Baitul Hadi Mosque in Edmonton. Regional general secretary, Tajalli Sehar Sahiba welcomed the guests and moderated the event. The event started with a recitation from the Holy Quran with its English translation, followed by a documentary based on the history of Lajna Imaillah. The subsequent programme consisted of speeches by various faith speakers and addresses by local dignitaries.
The speakers included Rev Karen Bridges from Christianity, Ms Netta Phillet from Judaism, Ms Savita Patel from Hinduism, and my humble self.
At the end of the event, regional president Dr Fozia Zakaria Sahiba thanked the worthy guests, speakers and attendees and appreciated all the volunteers for their tireless efforts to organise the event. The event ended with a silent prayer. The guests were taken around to see the various stalls and exhibits of the Lajna Centenary.
The second symposium was held in Airdrie, AB on 29 April, at the Genesis Centre. Uzma Rashid, the regional outreach secretary, welcomed the guests. After the recitation from the Holy Quran and the documentary “Introduction and History of Lajna Imaillah” the speakers presented their faith perspectives on the theme.
The speakers included Ms Jolyn Miller from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Dr Harjot Kaur Singh from the Sikh community, Pamela Lashmore from the Métis culture, and my humble self.
The event was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Councillor Tina Petro, Councillor Heather Spearman, MLA Angela Pitt, Constable Jennifer Weedmark, and Constable Erika McGratton.
In the end, regional president Dr Fozia Zakaria Sahiba thanked the worthy guests, speakers and attendees and appreciated all the volunteers for their tireless efforts to organise the event. The event ended with a silent prayer. The guests were taken around to see the various stalls and exhibits of the Lajna Centenary.
The third symposium was held in Lloydminster, AB on 30 April 2023, at the auditorium of Lakeland College. Sara Mirza Sahiba, the local outreach secretary, welcomed the guests and moderated the event. After the recitation from the Holy Quran, a documentary, “Introduction and History of LajnaImaillah”, was presented.
The speakers included Mrs Shanon Rokochy from the Christian Faith, Chahat Sawara from the Sikh community, Maxine Desjarlais from the Aboriginal community, and my humble self. At the end of the event, the regional president thanked the guests, and the event ended with a silent prayer. The guests were taken around to see various stalls and exhibits of the Lajna Centenary.
Altogether, 127 non-Ahmadi guests, five MLAs, five councillors, five members of the board of trustees, doctors and engineers, and 136 Lajna members attended the symposia.