Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 128
K h i l a f a t C e n t e n a r Y. _ -"·. =. :. concern was strictly related to Huzur's security; I told her not to worry because security was on high alert and this woman would not be able to come even close to Huzur ra Eventually the woman was forced to leave. Huzur's U. S. tour included a stop in New York, where he stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, as other heads of states do. We learned that some individuals affiliated with the gentleman from Trinidad were downstairs in the lobby, desirous of meeting Huzur ra , but because of our security arrangements they were not successful. TheJama'at security team was led by Muzaffar Ahmad Zafar of Dayton. Huzur ra reached Toronto, Canada on August 8, 1976. An incident occurred there which he would eventually mention in his speeches and khutbaat (sermons) , but only after the demise of Hadhrat Begum Sahiba. The incident unraveled itself as follows: Huzur ra had directed Imam Bashir Ahmad Rafiq and myself to take care of the baggage while Huzur ra and Begum Sahiba walked out of the airport. While Huzur ra was shaking hands with the Ahmadis who had gathered to greet him, Hadhrat Begum Sahiba spotted a stranger, an American right behind Huzur ra , and envisioned that he was the person whose letter was delivered to Huzur ra by the woman in Washington D. C. She immediately alertedJama'at security and the person was forced to leave. Canadian Police, when informed about this person, traced his whereabouts and warned him not to come close to any activity of theJama ' at, or wherever the head of the Community was staying, otherwise he would be arrested. This person was not seen after that, and Allah Almighty guarded Huzur ra in every respect. Inspection of Washington Mission House It was being suggested for quite some time that the Washington Mission House building was quite old and perhaps it should be sold, and another suitable place be purchased. In anticipation of Huzur's ra visit, the building was repaired and given a face-lift, so to speak. On July 27 th 1976,when Huzur ra visited the Mission, he desired to inspect the building; he visited each and every room and inquired as to who suggested selling the property. He observed that because of the location and its architectural beauty, there was no need to sell it or move it to another area. Then Huzur ra graciously met with Ahmadi students who were studying at different universities and enriched them with his guidance. OnJuly 30th Huzur ra delivered an enlightening Khutba, invoked prayers and, met with some out-of-town visitors. On July 31' \ Huzurra visited Charlottesville, Virginia, which is about 118 miles from Washington, D. C. and also visited Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson. Arrival in Dayton On August 1 '\ Huzur ra flew to Dayton, Ohio and I was honored to accompany him. At the airport the members of the Jama ' at welcomed Huzur, led by respected Mian Ibrahim ,the missionary in Dayton and respected Muzaffar Ahmad Zafar, President of the DaytonJama'at. There were also four city officials to receive Huzur ra. A representative of the Mayor of Dayton presented Huzur ra with a Key to the City and expressed how honored and privileged the State of Ohio was to receive him. Huzur ra thanked them and shook hands and embraced the members of the Jama 'at as did Hadhrat Sy eda Begum Sahiba with lajna members. Huzur ra proceeded to the Bell Moore Tower Hotel and stay ed for four da y s. During this time he held individual and collective mulaqaat,(audience with members or guests) , presided at a press conference, attended a reception gi ven by the Jama' at, visited the Dayton Mosque, lead congregational prayers and conducted a Majlis-e-lrfan (question and answer session). Huzur ra also attended a banquet where the Mayor of Dayton and other dignitaries were invited. Huzur's visit was covered by the media and many non - Muslims visited with Huzur ra and were very impressed by his magnetic personality. During one such reception, Huzur ra met with Professor of Mathematics, David Bar, of the Air Force Institute of Technology. Their meeting lasted for 45 minutes and Professor Bar was very impressed by Huzur's ra knowledge and understanding. Al-Fazl 12 and 13 September, 1976 On August 4 th, Huzur ra departed from Dayton to travel to New York and arrived at La Guardia Airport at 12:30pm, where the members of theJama'at, led by Ma. sud AhmadJehlumi , Missionary of the New York chapter, welcomed him. That evening Huzur ra visited the Brooklyn Mission House where members had the honor to meet him while the lajna met Sy eda Begum Sahiba. Later that evening Huzur ra attended a dinner hosted by Dr. Ahsanullah Zafar (current Amir of the U. S. J ama'at) at a restaurant on the 107th story of the World Trade Center. Missionaries Mian lbraheem and Masood Ahmad J ehlumi and myself also attended. A press conference was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where Huzur ra was staying on August 5 th. Man y members of the media were present, who reported in detail about Huzur ra, with video footage as well. A 30-minute documentary about the press conference was televised on August 15 th.