Laiq Ahmed Atif, President Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta
The National Book Festival is held every year in Malta. This year, the book festival was held between 18 and 22 October 2023, at MFCC, Malta’s largest international conference and exhibition venue. A large number of exhibitors participated in the book festival, which was visited by thousands of people. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Malta once again was able to participate in this annual national event.
During the Book Festival, we managed to approach many people by starting discussions and giving them books; we also informed them to visit our website for more books and information about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. The Holy Quran with English translation was of great interest to our visitors, and many copies of the Holy Quran were given out to those interested in reading it. They were also briefed on how to benefit better and that they may contact the Jamaat to ask questions that arise in their mind during the reading of the Holy Quran or if they do not understand something.
The latest editions of The Review of Religions and the monthly Maltese magazine ID-DAWL were also displayed for our visitors. Besides these, a good number of books in Maltese, including World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace, Recognising God: The Key to Unlocking Peace, and True Freedom for Women: True Emancipation through the Everlasting Teachings of Islam, were distributed among interested visitors.
We had healthy conversations with our respected visitors and also received some heart-touching comments from them. One visitor said that when he looked at the Holy Quran and started reading, “the Holy Quran really touched my heart.” Another visitor said, “I have been looking for the Holy Quran for a long time and have always had a wish to get a copy of the Holy Quran, which is being fulfilled today.” A Muslim visitor said, “I am very impressed by your efforts. If Muslims truly practise Islam and adopt Islamic lifestyles when they live in European countries, then the whole of Europe will become Muslim.”
14 members of the Jamaat and a non-Ahmadi Muslim student volunteered during the book festival, and they worked hard to make this event successful.
