Basharat ur Rehman, Secretary Tarbiyat, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Finland
A five-day tour was conducted by Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Finland’s Tarbiyat Department to visit six cities of the country with the purpose of meeting with Jamaat members, visits to city officials and mayors, introducing and presenting the latest Finnish translation of the Holy Quran to libraries and engaging with media representatives for interviews.
The tour began with prayers from the Jamaat Mission House, led by Missionary-in-Charge Finland, Shahid Mahmood Kahloon Sahib. The delegation included National President, Ata-ul-Ghalib Sahib; Sadr Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Finland, Farid Ahmad Sahib; and my humble self, Basharat-ur-Rehman, as Secretary Tarbiyat. The first stop was Vaasa, approximately 430 kilometres away from the capital, Helsinki. Upon arrival, Jamaat members warmly received the delegation. A dinner meeting was held where members asked questions on various matters.
The next morning, a meeting was held with the Mayor of Vaasa, Mr Tomas Häyry, wherein an introduction of the Jamaat was provided and the Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saa efforts for world peace were highlighted. The Mayor was presented with the Finnish translation of the Holy Quran, who appreciated the Jamaat’s global and local initiatives, especially the annual New Year cleanup in Vaasa. The mayor endorsed the Jamaat’s slogan, “Love for All, Hatred for None,” as a perfect approach to fostering harmony. Following this, the mayor facilitated an interview with the Finnish National Media YLE, where the delegation discussed the Jamaat’s peace efforts, the Holy Quran’s translation into Finnish, and local social activities. The Holy Quran’s Finnish translation was also presented to the journalist. Later, the delegation visited Vaasa’s central library, where a copy of the Holy Quran was introduced to the librarian and a copy of it was added to the library collection. The YLE coverage featured the Jamaat’s activities, beliefs and services under the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. It also included details about the Holy Quran’s translation. The media outlet, which reaches millions weekly, broadcasted this news during its evening bulletin.
The newspaper wrote:
“In Vaasa, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community cleans the city every year after New Year’s celebrations, with the purpose of spreading a message of peace and presenting a positive image of Islam. This practice is in accordance with the instructions of their Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his helper), who encourages his followers to demonstrate goodwill and service to society.
“This community believes in spreading goodness through small but impactful actions, not just in Finland but globally. Their core message is ‘Love for All, Hatred for None,’ which they promote through various initiatives. Recently, the Ahmadiyya Community published a new Finnish translation of the Holy Quran to make its teachings more accessible to Finnish-speaking people. The Imam (Missionary) of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, Shahid Mahmood Kahloon, presented this translation as a gift to the Mayor of Vaasa and the city library, aiming to eliminate misconceptions about Islam and promote interfaith harmony.”
YLE is Finland’s national media agency and currently the most trusted news source in the country. YLE’s website and other media platforms are accessed 26.6 million times weekly, both in Finland and internationally. It is estimated that approximately 2.1 million Finnish people read or watch YLE’s content, with 28% (around 588,000) tuning in to watch the evening news live when the Jamaat’s story was broadcast.”
The delegation travelled 320 kilometres to Oulu. Amidst harsh winter conditions, all members gathered and welcomed the delegation with prayers and a communal dinner. Discussions included plans for setting up a prayer centre in Oulu and regular Friday prayers. Individual meetings with members addressed personal and Jamaat-related concerns, and gifts were distributed to children.
Late at night, the delegation reached Rovaniemi, located in the Arctic Circle north of Finland. Despite a peak trading period for them, Jamaat members gathered and warmly welcomed the delegation. On Friday, 14 December, a meeting was held and a copy of the Finnish translation of the Holy Quran was presented to Rovaniemi’s central library, followed by the Jumuah prayer. Later, a local journalist met with the delegation to discuss the Jamaat’s global mission, peace efforts, and Quran translation. The journalist praised the efforts of Jamaat to society, especially the translation’s simplicity and accessibility for youth and expressed interest in writing an article on it.
The delegation travelled 340 kilometres to Kajaani, meeting a Syrian Ahmadi, performing prayers and discussing their issues over dinner.
The next morning, the delegation journeyed 170 kilometres from Kajaani to Kuopio, presenting a copy of the Holy Quran translation to the central library and meeting Jamaat members over lunch. The final stop was Joensuu, where the delegation met newly arrived students, answered their questions and introduced them to Jamaat activities.
The delegation covered approximately 2,100 kilometres, met a city mayor, introduced the Holy Quran’s translation to seven officials and journalists, including three libraries, and conducted two media interviews. Over 30 Jamaat members were directly contacted, gifts were distributed to children and the Jamaat’s global and local mission was widely promoted.