Attia Aslam, Sadr Lajna Imaillah, the Netherlands
Aeysha Nusrat Jahan Sahiba reports that Lajna Imaillah of the Netherlands held its 40th annual ijtema on 9-10 September 2023 in Vierhouten, a few kilometres away from the Baitun Noor Mosque, Nunspeet. The theme for this year’s ijtema was “Vie with each other in good deeds”.
The event officially started with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the Lajna pledge, a poem, and an address by Sadr Lajna Imaillah of the Netherlands, who emphasised the importance of attending Jamaat events and good company and reminded everyone to spend time in the remembrance of Allah during these blessed days. She then led the congregation in silent prayer, marking the start of the ijtema.
Various academic competitions were held. A report and analysis of Lajna Imaillah and Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya activities and progress throughout the year were presented through video presentations. A separate session was held for student Lajna, which included presentations on balancing studies and Jamaat work, and a special session was held for student Lajna who had recently moved to the Netherlands to explain to them the educational system here. The elections for president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women Students’ Association (AMWSA) were also carried out.
The Department of Health and Fitness also held a very interesting interactive seminar.
Along with a food bazaar, a variety of stalls were set up on behalf of Wasiyyat, Rishta Nata, Mosques Fund, Lajna Property Fund, and a bookstall by the Ishaat Department. In order to strengthen our bond with Khilafat, a special quiet area was set up for Lajna to be able to write letters to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa.
The Trade & Industry Department had set up an exhibition displaying the history of Lajna Imaillah through paintings, photographs, and crafts in both Urdu and Dutch. They also held competitions for sewing, knitting, embroidery, calligraphy, painting, and model building of mosques built around the world with contributions by Lajna and a project on Qadian in pictures.
The Nasirat-ul-Ahmadiyya ijtema was held in a separate marquee, which was beautifully decorated with banners and flags. Nasirat participated in various academic competitions. A quiz programme was held for nasirat on this year’s theme: Five Basic Moral Values. The nasirat also held their own arts and crafts competitions. Children younger than seven were also given the opportunity to recite poems between competitions. Sweet treats were distributed among all attendees. Around 15 nasirat took part in water distribution and discipline duties.
During the last session of ijtema, prizes were distributed amongst the winners of the competitions by Sadr Lajna Imaillah. This was followed by Sadr Sahiba’s concluding address, reminding Lajna members of the importance of sacrifice in order to achieve spiritual improvement, learning and understanding the Holy Quran, reading the books of the Promised Messiahas and learning the vernacular. The ijtema concluded with a word of thanks to all attendees and duty-holders and a silent prayer led by Sadr Sahiba.
The opening and concluding sessions were simultaneously translated into Dutch. Accommodation was provided at the ijtema site for duty holders and at the Baitun Noor Mosque for guests. Transport arrangements were made between the two sites, and pick-up was arranged from local train and bus stations.
Attendance on the first day was 454, and 386 on the second.