Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 130
Khilafat Centenary After Zuhr and Asr prayers, the last session of the convention started and Huzur ra delivered his concluding address. Huzur ra advised the settlers in America to inculcate in themselves Islamic values and train the next generations. They were asked to create a pure Islamic environment for training purposes. After the speech, Bashir Ahmad Afzal, President of the New YorkJama'at, presented Huzur ra with a plaque engraved with, "Ahlan wa Sahlan wa Marhaba ," along with the commitment of theJama 'at to Nizam-e- Khilafat, and to the heavenly leadership of Huzur,on account of which the flag of Islam would be hoisted all over the world, insha'Allah. He pledged theJama'at's readiness for sacrifice and to upkeep the commitment. Al-Fazl 8 October, 1976 Convention and the Media The 29 th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the charismatic spiritual personality of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih rn ra were widely mentioned in the national press. The papers depicted photos of the sessions, along with details related to the encompassing spiritual aura and the dignified and imposing personality of Huzur ra. On August 5 th at 10 am, the various chapters of the USAJama'at had a second meeting with Huzur ra at Drew University. In their deliberation s, missionary training for local Ahmadis was discussed. Establishment of Ahmadiyya clinics and management ofJama'at property were also considered. Huzur ra expressed his approval for the national headquarters and the regional centers to each have public relations departments, whose role would be to keep the general public apprised about propagation activities. After meeting with the various chapters, Huzur ra traveled by air to Canada. I accompanied him on this journey as did Rashid Ahmad, National President of the Ahmadiyya MuslimJama'at USA. Once again the security detail was led by Muzaffar Ahmad Zafar. The plane landed at Toronto International Airport at 6 pm. Khalifa Abdul Aziz Sahib, Amir Jama' at (national president) Canada, was present to humbly greet Huzur ra along with over 500 members of theJama 'at who had traveled from all over Canada to see their beloved Imam. Press Conference: On August 9th, Huzur ra addressed a press conference arranged in his honor, and held at the hotel where he was staying. A reporter had inquired as to whether it was Huzur 's plan to move theJama'at headquarters to another country; Huzur ra replied with a definite no, adding that such an action had not even been imagined. Meeting of Canadian Jama'at Chapters The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Canada hosted a dinner in honor of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih on the gth of August. An address was given by the National Amir, respected Khalifa Abdul Aziz in which he mentioned the purchase of a mission house and construction of mosque, and requested Huzur ra for a mubaligh (missionary) to be appointed in Canada. Then he declared total submission and obedience to Khilafat, and that the community would say "Labaik" (I hear and obey) to every order of the Khalifa of the time with the utmost sincerity, zeal and fervor. Huzur's subsequent address to the gathering lasted for about two hours and was extremely insightful and deeply rooted in truths and wisdom. This address was very important from a training point of view, too. Huzur 'a then pra yed that Allah Almighty help every Ahmadi to understand the visible image he presents to the world, and then perform his obligations accordingly. Al-Fazl 15 October, 1976 Sightseeing in Canada On August 10 th, after a meeting with members of the Toronto Jama ' at, Huzur ra visited Ontario Palace, a theme park which overlooks Lake Ontario and features special elements for children. Next Huzur ra visited the CN Tower, the highest tower in the world (at that time), 1800 feet high, and had lunch at the top in a revolving restaurant. This special luncheon was organized by the Toronto J ama'at and all the members of the entourage had the honor of having lunch with Huzur 'a, and a view the whole city. Later the same day Huzur ra attended two receptions arranged by theJama'at, one for the male members and one for female members. The men's reception was also attended by members of the federal and provincial assemblies, officers and dignitaries of Toronto, famous writers, physicians, journalists and representatives of the United Church. Together there were about 250 guests who were introduced to Huzurr a, and he exchanged views on a variety of topics with the invitees,