Syed Mukarram Nazeer, Canada Correspondent
Vile cartoons of the Holy Prophetsa were published in certain countries in 2012. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa guided the Jamaat to organise programmes which showcased the blessed life of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa to the world.
Following this guidance, Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada organised a programme in 2012 called “Muhammadsa: The Astonishing Story of the Prophet”.
This event was organised and held in Canada’s premier venue, Roy Thomson Hall, located in the heart of downtown Toronto. Around 2,000 people attended the event, making it a great success. The programme’s content and videos were later used in similar events in other cities across Canada.
Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada reports that recently, some newspapers published vile cartoons again. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Canada decided to organise another similar large scale event, spearheaded by MKA Canada.
With guidance and permission from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, a virtual programme was organised. Being a virtual event not only opened it to all of Canada, but also increased its reach to a worldwide audience.
Regular prayers and letters to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa aided in overcoming Covid-19 challenges and obstacles.
The publicity campaign was redesigned. A nationwide Twitter trend campaign was undertaken to promote the event, and the events’ website, www.TheProphet.ca, resulted in over 41,000 visits in the month of January alone. Hashtags of #ProphetMuhammad and #AstonishingStoryJan30 were also promoted.
Three different Twitter trends were undertaken on 10, 24 and 30 January, resulting in over 130,000 tweets. Paid advertisements were placed on Google, YouTube and various online websites and platforms. In addition, all members of the Jamaat were asked to promote the event at a personal level.
The efforts paid off with 17,649 pre-registrations prior to the event with some 9,690 non-Ahmadi guests. This was the largest number of guest registrations for any single event in Canada, alhamdulillah.
The event was live streamed with an estimated 50,000 viewers from over 40 countries. The event was followed by a brief introduction to Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. Viewers were invited to register for a free copy of the book, Life of Muhammad, more than 897 requests for a copy of Life of Muhammad were received.
Some of the comments and feedback from viewers across the world are as following:
“I just wanted to say, thank you for that amazing event. You have no idea how it has touched my heart and soul. It has made me fall in love with the Prophet, peace be upon him, all over again in the beautiful religion of Islam. Thank you, a million times, and may Allah bless you all for the light you shared.”
“I watched the YouTube show because of a friend. I found it very interesting.”
“Jazakumullahu khairan wa barak-Allahu feekum for the powerful film and generous gift.”
“Thank you for this wonderful, enlightening documentary of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.”
“It was illuminating and very educational. Thank you.”
“What a beautiful presentation. Thank you again.”
“After watching the documentary, I am interested in learning more about the life of the Holy Prophet[sa].”
“Very interested in reading this [book].”
“Jazakallah for putting on this incredible programme.”
“Lovely documentary.”
