Basics of Religious Education — Page 278
278 278 278 278 278 B ASICS OF R ELIGIOUS E DUCATION - F IFTH E DITION Centenary Celebrations (March 23, 1989) Muslim Television Ahmadiyya - MTA, and inauguration of North American Mosques (1992-94) 100th Annual Con- ference in Qadian (1991) The completion of the first century of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at was celebrated in almost all the countries of the world. In Pakistan, the Government of Punjab banned a substantial part of these celebrations. In December 1991, Huzur rh undertook the historic trip to Qadian, India to attend the 100th Annual Conference (Jalsa Salana). It was undoubtedly a great historic event because since 1947, this was the first occasion that a Successor to the Promised Messiah as visited Qadian, the first Center of Jama`at Ahmadiyya. Thousands of Ahmadis from all corners of the world poured into Qadian, and Huzur’s speeches were televised all over the world. Hadrat Syeda Asifa Begum, wife of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih IV rh and grand- daughter of the Promised Messiah, despite her illness, accompanied Huzur on his trip to Qadian. She passed away on April 3rd, 1992 in London. On August 21, 1992, previous trial satellite trasmissions were organized into the blessed system of Muslim Television Ahmadiyya (MTA). ♦ On October 16, 1992, Huzur rh inaugurated the Bai’tul Islam Mosque (Toronto, Canada), then the largest mosque in North America, with the Friday Sermon. It was an unprecedented event — for the first time in the history of Ahmadiyyat and Islam, a Friday sermon was transmitted live to all continents of the world, thus fulfilling the revelation of the Promised Messiah as — I shall cause thy message to reach the corners of the earth — in an entirely new way. ♦ On October 14, 1994, another historic event took place. Huzur rh simultaneously inaugurated Baitur Rahman Mosque in Washington D. C and the Jama`at’s first satellite earth station. This station serves the Western Hemisphere by relaying the international transmission from the UK. On April 1, 1996, 24-hour worldwide MTA service was started. On January 29, 1993, Huzur rh announced a special Scheme to provide moral and financial help to the oppressed people of Bosnia. In response, the Jama`at urgently raised an amount of about 79000 pounds. On July 28, 1993, during the 28th Jalsa Salana of Jama`at Ahmadiyya, U. K. , a unique historic event took place, when 204,308 new Ahmadi Muslims, from 84 countries and 115 nations of the world, took Bai‘at at the hands of Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad rh via live satellite transmission. This Bai`at tradition continues yearly with the number of new Ahmadis almost doubling. P P P P P ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED ROMISED M M M M M ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH ESSIAH AS AS AS AS AS A N D A N D A N D A N D A N D S S S S S UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS — K — K — K — K — K HALIF HALIF HALIF HALIF HALIFA A A A AT U L T U L T U L T U L T U L M M M M M A S I H A S I H A S I H A S I H A S I H IV IV IV IV IV 7. 6 7. 6 7. 6 7. 6 7. 6 Scheme to Help the Oppressed People of Bosnia Historic Worldwide Bai‘at through Live Telecast (July 28, 1993)