World Da`wah Exhibition Opens in Saudi Arabia

By Wael Al-Kurdi, IOL Correspondent

JEDDAH, June 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The sixth exhibition of Da`wah tools opened Tuesday, June 14, in the southern Saudi city of Abha with the participation of 86 Islamic bodies.

Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Waqfs and Da`wah, the "Be A Da`I (Islamic preacher)" exhibition is aimed at educating da`is about how to preach Islamic values through 121 effective tools and put them on the right path.

"We will set up a special pavilion of state-of-the-art da`wah tools and explain how the da`is can make the best use of them to keep abreast with the latest technologies," said Sheikh Abdel Rahman Bin Ghannam Al-Ghannam, the ministry's undersecretary for da`wah affairs and deputy chairman of the fair's organizing committee.

He added that the ministry is planning to hand out 100,000 copies of a pamphlet on the 121 da`wah tools to the exhibition audience.

Chairman of the organizing committee Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabban told the Okaz daily that the audience can get their information on da`wah through PowerPoint presentations and available computers.

He said representatives of da`wah bodies participating in the exhibition will use more than one language in their presentations for the sake of foreign audience.

Sheikh Al-Sabban, also undersecretary of the Ministry of Waqfs and Da`wah, added that the 11-day fair would organize daily contests on da`wah for willing audience.

Chief among the participants are the Muslim World League, Islamic Relief, and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) along with Saudi government bodies like the ministries of information, social affairs and the Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil authority.

Recognized as the world's most important da`wah event, past exhibitions, hosted by the Saudi cities of Riyadh, Ad-Dammam, Al-Qasim and Jeddah, attracted an audience of 850,000 people.

Religious Discourse

WAMY Secretary General Saleh Al-Wohaibi said religious discourse and media have been playing a key role in revealing the true essence of Islam as a moderate religion.

"We have to reconsider our da`wah priorities, turn the focus on moderate Islam and eschew extremism, but without bowing to external pressures and give up our values," he told IslamOnline.net on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.

Wohaibi said the exhibition is important for guiding potential da`is, who might be a bit confused and do not know how to start.

"The exhibition provides them with necessary books, multi-lingual brochures, audio and video tapes, CDs and a host of da`wah Web sites," he added.

Ibrahim Bin Naser Al-Hammoud, deputy head of the Higher Judicial Institute, said da`wah exhibitions are giving a "beaming" image of Islam and highlight the pivotal role played by da`is.

But he called for giving a second reading to da`wah plans to overcome weak points and loopholes.

Adnan Bin Khalil Basha, the Secretary General of Islamic Relief, said his organization has been a committed participant in da`wah exhibitions for the past five years as it considers the event an ample opportunity to spotlight its da`wah efforts and miscellaneous activities.