Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 119
Khilafat Centenary among others. The book ends with a warning that if we attempt to tilt the meezan (natural balance), we may indeed face its negative effects. Several of these phenomena we have already witnessed on smaller scales, such as nuclear holocaust and global warming, while others, such as dangers related to unbridled genetic engineering, threaten the very existence of humanity. Besides utilizing all forms of publications, Khulafa-e- Ahmadiyya have, over the past centur y, educated the world about the importance of our environment and methods of its preservation by various other effective approaches, some of which include: Foundation of mosques, schools and other institutions of higher learning; Establishment of hospitals and centers of healing; Launching of a 24-hour satellite station, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya, which regularly broadcasts programs and discussions related to nature and the natural sciences; Formation of an international organization, Humanity First, which has provided humanitarian aid and en vironmental know-how to disaster-stricken and underserv ed areas of the world since its inception in 1992; and sponsoring a number of seminars and question- and -answer sessions to further enlighten the public. Rabwah - A City Transformed An ingenious example of geological development and environmental restoration by Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya is the establishment of the city of Rabwah, Pakistan. Located approximately 90 miles south-west of Lahore, this piece of land (originally known as Chak Digiyyan) was a barren desert until Hadhrat Musleh Mau' ood ra moved the Jama ' at headquarters there in 1948, following the political divide of the Indian subcontinent. Through meticulous planning and incredible hard work, this once wasteland was gradually turned into a lush green valle y, truly reflecting its new name (rab w ah in Arabic means "higher ground;" a reference of it is found in the Holy Qur'an : ' 'And We mad e th e son of Ma ry and his mother as a Sign: We gave them both sh e lte r on Rabw ah , affording rest and security and furnished with springs"). The "beautification process" of this city of about 100,000 people continued for many years, and Sahibzada Mirza Masroor Ahmad , currently Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih y aba, served as the President of this Tazaeen Rabwah Committee (committee in charge of beautifying Rabwah) from 1994 to 1997. Conservation of Energy The "buzz-word" on every environmentalist's lips today is conservation of natural resources and finding alternatives to fossil fuels. Long before "energy conservation" and "energy policy" became au courant, Khulafa-e-ahmadiyya drew our special attention to it. In 1934, the divinely guided Hadhrat Musleh Mau'ood ra launched a 19-point Tahrik-e:Jadid scheme, the drive of which was to lead a simple life and avoid over-consumption of resources. This had a dual effect: in addition to improving our physical well-being and the environment, it brought tremendous spiritual benefits to the Community, as all of this was done solely to win the pleasure of Allah. Furthermore, the visionary Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih III, Hafiz Mirza Nasir Ahmad ru , admonishedJama'at members that instead of motor-driven vehicles, they should use simpler modes of transportation such as riding a bicycle, which conserves non -renewable energy. This was done in an era when even the most far-sighted preservationist could not imagine such an initiative. In fact, every Ahmadi has been advised to adopt outdoor "nature' activities such as hiking, jogging, riding, swimming, and hunting as pastimes; rather than pursuing leisure interests that may harm his bod y and soul. This exercise promotes better understanding of God's creation, and builds a closer bond with nature. Wheat in West Africa A telling contribution of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih v aba in the field of natural sciences is his introduction of wheat as a potential cash crop in West Africa. It was generally accepted that growing wheat in this part of the world was not profitable. Until recently the West African nation of Ghana, for example, imported nearly 100 % of its wheat from foreign countries. 19