Munira Ouro Agouda Fahad Ullah Qureshi Islam Net 02.05.13

 The organization Islam Net invited a number of expert speakers worldwide to the
annual Scandinavian peace conference in Oslo, 23rd - 25th March 2013. Peace
Conference Scandinavia is Scandinavia's largest Islamic peace conference where
everyone is welcome, regardless of religion, nationality or faiths.
Munira Ouro Agouda
Fahad Ullah Qureshi
Islam Net
02.05.13
Preface
This report has been prepared on the basis of the conference held in Oslo in the period 23.03.13 to
25.03.13 The purpose of this report is to provide a thorough presentation and description of the topics
and issues that have been presented in the conference. The report will give an introduction to the work
that was done before, during and after the conference, as well as give the readers knowledge about
Islam.
Acknowledge to the leader of Islam Net, Fahad Qureshi, and the reference group Ujjal Mazumder,
Madia Raja, Moqim Bani Hashem and Hodah Hilde Myrhaug to have followed up the work and given
feedback and comments.
Oslo, 27.03.2013
2 Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Theory ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Islam, not what the media presents..................................................................................................... 7
Muslims face difficulty ......................................................................................................................... 7
Method .................................................................................................................................................... 7
Case study .............................................................................................................................................. 8
The aim of the conference................................................................................................................... 8
Marketing............................................................................................................................................. 8
Video trailers for YouTube ............................................................................................................... 8
The poster ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Ticket booking ................................................................................................................................... 10
Time and place .................................................................................................................................. 10
Place ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Time .............................................................................................................................................. 10
The venue ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Facilities ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Babysitting ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Food stall ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Information stall about Islam ......................................................................................................... 11
Donation stall................................................................................................................................. 11
Clothing and miscellaneous stall ................................................................................................... 11
Place for prayer ............................................................................................................................. 11
The speakers..................................................................................................................................... 12
Dr. Ali Mohammed Salah .............................................................................................................. 12
Dr. Haitham al-Haddad .................................................................................................................. 12
Yusuf Chambers ............................................................................................................................ 12
Sh. Riad Ouarzazi ......................................................................................................................... 13
Yusha Evans ................................................................................................................................. 13
Muhammad Abdul Jabbar ............................................................................................................. 13
Sh. Yusuf Estes ............................................................................................................................. 14
Sh. Said Rageah ........................................................................................................................... 14
Sh. Khalid Yasin ............................................................................................................................ 14
The conference ................................................................................................................................. 15
Attendance .................................................................................................................................... 15
Reminder by Dr. Haitham al-Haddad ............................................................................................ 15
3 Beginning of the conference .......................................................................................................... 15
Day 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Day 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 16
Day 3 ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Da'wah dinner and courses held afterwards ..................................................................................... 18
PCS Da'wah Dinner ...................................................................................................................... 21
Practising Islam in the West – Part 3 – Dr. Haitham al-Haddad.................................................... 21
Awakening the Genius Within – Sh. Riad Ouarzazi ...................................................................... 21
Results .................................................................................................................................................. 22
Feedback........................................................................................................................................... 22
Feedback 1 .................................................................................................................................... 22
Feedback 2 .................................................................................................................................... 22
Feedback 3 .................................................................................................................................... 22
Feedback 4 .................................................................................................................................... 22
Feedback 5 .................................................................................................................................... 23
Feedback 6 .................................................................................................................................... 23
Feedback 7 .................................................................................................................................... 23
Feedback 8 .................................................................................................................................... 23
Feedback 9 .................................................................................................................................... 24
Feedback 10 .................................................................................................................................. 24
Questionnaire 1 - Organizational....................................................................................................... 25
What kind of education do you have? ........................................................................................... 25
How did you hear about the confecence? ..................................................................................... 25
How comfortable was the conference? ......................................................................................... 25
What impression do you have of the conference? ........................................................................ 25
Will you attend the next conference? ............................................................................................ 25
Questionnaire 2 - Content and influence ........................................................................................... 26
Age group: ................................................................................................................................... 26
What kind of education do you have? ........................................................................................... 26
To what extent did the conference influence your life towards practicing Islam more? ................ 26
To what extent did the conference influence you to want to engage in da'wah? .......................... 26
To what extent did the conference influence you to want to study Islam? .................................... 26
To what extent have your iman, your relationship with Allah and your Muslim identity increased?
...................................................................................................................................................... 27
To what extent did the conference get you to stop with the listed activities that are haram: ........ 27
Backbiting .................................................................................................................................... 27
Relationship outside of marriage ................................................................................................... 27
Chatting with the opposite gender ................................................................................................. 27
Alcohol / narcotics ......................................................................................................................... 27
4 Eating haram .............................................................................................................................. 28
Smoking........................................................................................................................................ 28
Listening to music.......................................................................................................................... 28
Showing of the body / using tight clothes ...................................................................................... 28
Begin haughty ............................................................................................................................... 28
Working with Haram ................................................................................................................. 29
Spreading immoral pictures on Facebook ..................................................................................... 29
To what extent did the conference make you improve the following acts of worship? .................. 29
Praying the five obligatory prayers on time ................................................................................... 29
Reading the Qur'an ....................................................................................................................... 29
Praying Tahajjud (extra prayer at night) ........................................................................................ 29
Doing Dhikr.................................................................................................................................... 29
Having good manners ................................................................................................................... 30
Searching for 'Ilm (knowledge) about Islam ....................................................................... 30
How has the conference impacted your life? ................................................................................ 30
Other results ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Participants .................................................................................................................................... 30
Conversions .................................................................................................................................. 30
Video production ........................................................................................................................... 31
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 31
Sources ................................................................................................................................................. 32 5 Summary
The purpose of the conference is to clarify misconceptions about Islam, promote transparency and
good communication through lectures and dialogues. Furthermore, the conference will present a
number of issues relevant to Muslims and non-Muslims, as well as give possible solutions in the light
of Islamic perspective. In this way more people will understand each other's values, acquire more
knowledge and learn to recognize the right image of Islam, so that we can live in a diverse community
based on comprehension and compassion for each other.
Introduction
The preparations for the course and the lectures were done in six to eight months ahead of the
conference. Islam Net's Event Committee was responsible for planning the conference, construction
and completion of the event itself. Their task was to organize and distribute the practical work among
themselves and between volunteers.
Below are the task that were done:
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Booking of speakers.
Booking of the venue.
Booking of hotel rooms for the
speakers.
Booking of flights.
Purchasing food and drink.
Renting payment terminals.
Purchasing of video equipment.
Development of programs.
Marketing:
designing
and
printing of posters and banners.
Production
of
video
advertisements and articles.
Advertising.
Recruitment of volunteers.
Driving planning, recruitment of
drivers and preparing schedules
for effective and environmentally
friendly driving.
Organizing of security.
Stage decoration.
Media coverage.
Sending invitations.
This report is delimited to deal with the
preparation, implementation and content
of the program.
6 Theory
Islam, not what the media presents
In today's society many people associate Islam with something negative. Islam has been put in a bad
light, for example through the media over the years. Many people associate Islam with terrorism and
oppression. Often, people who believe in what the media presents, does not have knowledge about
Islam. Therefore, Islam Net's annual peace conference aims to help the Norwegian population to
acquire proper knowledge about Islam. In this way they will be able to prevent prejudice and clarify
misconceptions about Islam.
Muslims face difficulty
There are Muslims from different backgrounds and ethnicity in the West, and most of them are
different when it comes to practicing Islam. It is not an unknown fact that many aspects of Western
culture is not in accordance with Islam. The ability to practice Islam the way it should be done is limited
to Muslims in the western society. Among other things, lack of amenities in terms of prayer at work or
school, halal food in grocery stores, and interest-free loans to buy housing, etc. Because of these
factors many Muslims are being influenced by the Western culture and are slowly but surely leaving
Islamic teachings.
Many young Muslims believe that it is permissible to push the Islamic laws and regulations so that they
can be a part of the western people. A consequence of this is that some, or a great deal, of the Islamic
guidelines are forgotten or ignored. One way to get Muslims, who face obstacles and challenges in
their lives, to be more aware of these social problems they encounter, is to show them how to maintain
their Muslim identity, preserve their faith and practice Islam in the Western society. This can happen
for example through dialogue, seminars and lectures where people with more knowledge about Islam,
such as scholars, can share their knowledge and talk about the challenges Muslims face in relation to
their practice of Islam in the West.
Method
We used qualitative method by receiving feedback from our guests concerning their impression about
the conference. To a greater extent, we have used quantitative methods by allowing our participants to
fill in two feedback forms after the conference. The first form was about the practical implementation of
the conference. The second form dealt about the proceeds of the conference. The statistics we have
gathered are very interesting.
7 Case study
The aim of the conference
The conference had three main goals. In the results section it will be shown to what extent the goals
have been fulfilled. The aims were:
1. To make information about Islam available
for those who are not Muslims, answering
their misconceptions about Islam and to
offer Islam's point of view about the
purpose of life.
2. To awaken the hearts of Muslims who do
not practice Islam and rekindle the spark
of love for Allah and His Messenger in
their hearts so that they might return to
Islam.
3. To create awareness about the obligation
of da'wah and arouse enthusiasm among
practicing Muslims so that more people engages in this job.
Marketing
It was used various means to the promotion of the
conference. Over 20 000 people was invited via
Facebook. E-mails were sent to around 1,400
people. SMS was sent to around 1700 people.
30,000 flyers were distributed. 2500 A1 posters
were hung. There was full information about the
conference on the main page of our website
islamnet.no. In addition, it was announced in
several mosques and on the radio. Poetry and
various articles about the conference were written
and published. One of the most effective tools was
the video commercials that were made. One
speaker at a time was launched every few days in
a unique video advertising. Eventually, a main trailer with all the speakers was published. Even after
that, a surprise speaker was presented when no one expected it.
Video trailers for YouTube
1. Launching of Dr. Ali M. Salah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLbDo1eNAcs
2. Launching of Dr. Haitham al-Haddad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEkDoNufF2g
3. Launching of Yusuf Chambers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q58VT1poBs0
4. Launching of Sh. Riad Ouarzazi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ7zXqFUNdI
5. Launching of Yusha Evans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nrbqxghup0
6. Launching of Muhammad Abdul Jabbar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC5YyAhjNZA
7. Launching of Sh. Yusuf Estes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t55OmShcA7Y
8. Awakening the Genius Within – Sh. Riad Ouarzazi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdraqzIC3DE
9. PCS 2013 – Official Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otKKj6YHlRw
10. Launching of Sh. Khalid Yasin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6J0yCT4u1I
8 The poster
9 Ticket booking
This conference had limited space with about 1100 seats and 300 standing rooms. The tickets cost
NOK 100 per day and could be ordered via the Internet, SMS or purchased at the door.
All non-Muslims, and all under the age of 15 were given free tickets to the conference.
Time and place
Place
The conference took place at the factory
Hasle, Haslevangen 16, 0579 Oslo,
Norway. Oslo is the capital of Norway. The
population of Norway is slightly above five
million, where about 624 000 people live
in Oslo.
Time
The dates for the conference were on
Saturday 23rd March, at 1:00 p.m. to
10:00 p.m. and Sunday and Monday 24th25th March at. 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
10 The venue
The Hasle Factory had room for approximately 1100 chairs and
300 standing rooms. The scene was 9m wide. It was a large
recreation area well suited in order for both men and women to
have their own recreation areas.
Facilities
Babysitting
This year there was an opportunity for childcare. Here, children
participated in various activities, while adults could enjoy the
conference in peace and tranquillity.
Food stall
It was possible to buy different foods. Among other thinks:
Pakistani rice with kofta, samosa, börek and baguettes. It was
also sold cotton candy, waffles, cakes, chocolates, soft drinks,
coffee and tea.
Information stall about Islam
On this stand non-Muslims could talk to us to get answers to
their questions about Islam. In addition, we had a large amount
of free literature sponsored by Conveying Islamic Message
Society in Egypt. Muslims could buy books from a wide
assortment that were ordered from England.
Donation stall
Here, one could become a member of Islam Net and contribute
with donations.
Clothing and miscellaneous stall
On the women's side there was a market where one could buy
new and used clothing, shoes, jewellery, handbags, etc. that
Muslims had donated to Islam Net.
Place for prayer
There were set aside large places in both the women’s and the
men’s side where they could pray.
11 The speakers
Islam Net invited world-renowned and skilled speakers from around the world who gave lectures in
which they dealt with critical issues related to Islam and the Western society. This year's speakers
were:
Dr. Ali Mohammed Salah
Dr. Ali Mohammed Salah is one of the greatest Muslim
scholars in Norway. He has a PhD in Islamic studies
from Malaysia, and has previously worked as a senior
lecturer at several universities in Malaysia. Dr. Salah
began his education in 1987 at the Islamic University
of Madinah in Saudi Arabia, where he earned a
bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies and Prophetic
narrations. After graduation in 1991 he went to Mecca
where he earned a Master degree in Methodology and
Islamic Mission. After completing his studies in 1995
he received his PhD in Malaysia for the period 19972001, earning the title Dr. of Theology and Philosophy.
Dr. Salah is the author of the book Trilogy of Abrahamic Faith. He has also authenticated 100 Ahadith
(reports of the Prophet's life). He has been involved in more than 50 researches of Islam and has
participated in about 60 Islamic conferences. He is currently the Imam of Tawfiiq mosque in Oslo, and
is highly respected in the Muslim community. He speaks fluent Somali, Arabic and English, and gives
i
lectures in these different languages.
Dr. Haitham al-Haddad
Haitham al-Haddad was born and raised in Saudi
Arabia and is of Palestinian origin. He has
competencies in various areas; among them are the
topics that he has presented in the course and the
lectures. He lives in London and has previously
studied Islamic sciences for over 15 years. He later got
interested in Islamic legislation and law and eventually
graduated with a BA in Islamic law. He has been
awarded a PhD from the School of Oriental and
African Studies (University of London) after working
with his doctoral thesis on Islamic jurisprudence in
relation to Muslim minorities. He has also studied
under several eminent scholars, including Shaykh Abd
al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz, Shaikh Abdullah Ibn
Jibreen, Shaykh Abdullah ibn Aqil and Shaykh
Muhammad ibn al Uthaymeen. Al-Haddad is currently
judge of the Islamic Shari'ah Council in London, and in
addition he works as an advisor for various
ii
organizations.
Yusuf Chambers
Yusuf Chambers was born in Woking, Surrey. He has
been involved in a number of leading Muslim
organizations both in the UK and abroad. These have
included Peace TV, Muslim Aid, Al-Jumuah Magazine,
Islam Channel and Unity TV where he presented The Path to Guidance, an interview program for
people who are searching for Islam.
12 He has travelled extensively to the Middle East, Africa and Europe before settling in London. When it
comes to charity collection, practical community work and strong advocacy for Islam, the name of
Yusuf Chambers is rarely far from the discussion table.
His work also includes marketing and sales. To an increasing extent, he has been very prominent in
the media. He has been recognized as one of the new types of dynamic and professional TV
presenters in the community. Yusuf Chambers is a well-known and established da'ee.
Sh. Riad Ouarzazi
Shaykh Riad Ouarzazi was born in Casablanca,
Morocco. After obtaining degrees in Islamic Studies from
M. Abdullah University, he moved to the U.S. in 1988.
There, he earned a bachelor degree in International
Management and a Masters in Science in Computer
Information Systems. He studied under Shaykh Waleed
aqeedah Basyouni and fiqh under Shaykh Waleed
Idrees. He attained certificates in personal development,
business management and coaching. Ouarzazi moved
to Canada in 2001 and became active in Islamic work
where he gave lectures and khutbah in several mosques
iii
in the Greater Toronto Area.
Yusha Evans
Yusha (Joshua) Evans was born and raised in
Greenville, South Carolina in a Christian home. Since his
teens he was engaged in the church and joined a
Christian organization aimed at youth. His goal was to
engage in teaching and missionary work, and he was
therefore planning to register at the world-renowned
Bible School, Bob Jones University. In the summer of
1996, Evans's life changed after studying the Bible from
cover to cover, and realizing that many things were
askew. During his search for the truth, he met a Muslim
who gave him the Quran. After reading the Quran from
cover to cover, he accepted Islam in the winter 1998.
Yusha Evans works as an information worker and a fulltime lecturer. He also teaches in seminars and has founded two Islamic TV channels in North
America. He has studied with several scholars in various Islamic sciences and had psychology as his
major subject. Currently, Yusha Evans studies under Shaykh Waleed Al-Menesse, one of the world's
foremost scholars in the Quran and its various sciences. He also is a multiple discipline Black belt
iv
holder and runs a martial art academy in Minneapolis.
Muhammad Abdul Jabbar
Muhammad Abdul Jabbar was born and raised in
Birmingham, UK. He has shown a depth of Islamic
knowledge despite his young age. He is an inspiration to
all his students and his community. With his charismatic
and dynamic method to deliver the message, his
speeches have won the hearts of people from all over
the world.
13 Prior to his private study, he entered an established Islamic Institute to study the four schools of law
(fiqh) and all the fundamental Islamic sciences including usul al-fiqh, usul al-hadith and tafsir.
He has endeavoured to reach out to the youth both locally and nationally by travelling throughout the
country and giving lectures. In his lectures he motivates the Muslim masses to come out from the
depths of darkness into the light of Islam. He is the founder of Al Qadr, a da'wah and media
organization that produces videos and propagating the true message of Islam. He currently lives in
v
Birmingham where he regularly gives lectures.
Sh. Yusuf Estes
Yusuf Estes grew up in a very religious Christian home. He
was educated in Texas and became successful by owning
record stores and TV shows. He used his talent in piano and
organ to preach the Bible while he served as minister of music
teaching. Estes was a delegate to the United Nations Peace
Summit for Religious Leaders and U.S. Federal chaplain from
1994 to 2000. He is also responsible for several easy and
useful web sites in English about Islam.
His lectures are held at universities, institutions, in the military
and public places, and they are open to everyone including
Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews, atheists and other nonbelievers. Many preachers, priests and rabbis have
complimented his way of presenting an enlightening picture of
the world's fastest growing religion
- Islam. He is working to spread Islam’s true message to the youth, new Muslims and others, using
simple English. He makes it fun to acquire knowledge, while he refers to the Quran and the teachings
of Islam.
Sh. Said Rageah
Said Rageah was born in Somalia, and later moved to North
America in the late 80s. He has a bachelor degree in Islamic
studies and a Masters in Shariah. Rageah is the founder of
Masjid Huda in Montreal and Masjid Aya in Maryland. He also
founded Muslim Magazine and Al Aqsa Association. In
addition, he was also the director of the University of Calgary
and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Currently
he is the Imam at the Abu Hurairah Mosque in Toronto and
vi
Chairman for the Journey of Faith Conference.
Sh. Khalid Yasin
Khalid Yasin is a former Christian. He was raised in Brooklyn
and embraced Islam in 1965 after his search for the truth. He
has studied the Arabic language in Medina, Saudi Arabia and
Cairo, Egypt. He had many mentors and teachers who taught
him in Fiqh us-Sunnah, Fiqh us-Seerah, Islamic History and
the memorization and recitation of the Qur'an. He has been the
Managing Director of the Islamic Teaching Institute (ITI), which
was a leading organization dedicated to da'wah work. Yasin’s
contributions to Islam have led to many thousands of people in
search of truth, accepting Islam. Shaykh Khalid Yasin travels around the world to give lectures with the
aim to remove misconceptions about Islam. He is also keen to raise awareness of Muslims' duty to
da'wah and invite Muslims to practice their religion.
14 The conference
Attendance
We began to prepare the venue on Friday, the day
before the conference. On Saturday morning at 9:30 it
was an attendance in the hall for all volunteers who
were going to work during the conference. The leaders
went through the rules of the conference and
distributed the tasks among the various groups that
were responsible for the different assignments. Vests
were also handed out to be used by all volunteers so
that they could be recognized among the audience.
After the meeting the volunteers continued with the
rigging of the stage and stands.
Reminder by Dr. Haitham al-Haddad
Shortly before the people entered the hall Dr. Haitham
al-Haddad held a short speech. He reminded the
group about what it means to be a volunteer helper.
Moreover, he urged the volunteers to join the
conference in a good and smooth manner, by
engaging wholeheartedly with commitment and energy
to present Islam. Furthermore, he reminded them to
have the right intention for every action, and that it
could help them achieve the ultimate goal that every
Muslim has: Jannah, paradise. Finally, Al-Haddad
encouraged the volunteers to motivate, guide and
support each other in their work, and work as a team,
before he ended his speech with a prayer.
Beginning of the conference
At 1:00 p.m. the admission started. According to the
scheme the program started at. 1:30 p.m. The queue
at the admission was still long when the conference
began. It did not take long before the hall was packed.
There were about 2/3 women and 1/3 men. More and
more people visited the conference throughout the
days, and the audience really enjoyed themselves.
With nine speakers, the program had a lot of variety
and contained different types of speeches.
Day 1
The chairman of Islam Net, Fahad Qureshi began the
conference with an introduction. He welcomed
everyone and presented briefly about the organization
Islam Net, before presenting the purpose of the
conference and current issues related to Islam in the
West. Then it was time for the Peace Conference
Scandinavia's first speaker to keep his lecture.
15 Yusha Evans held the first lecture ''Why Are We
Here?'' which enlightened the participants from the
start about the meaning of life. After the lecture, there
were sessions for questions and answers where the
audience could get involved and clear up all confusion
they may have concerning what was said in the
lecture. Sh. Said Rageah held the second lecture
''Why Should You Not be Muslim?'', which was
directed at the seekers of the truth. Yusha Evans's
lecture was built on the rationality of worshiping their
Lord, while Said Rageah's lecture was about the
teachings of Islam and what benefits Islam brings. Dr.
Haitham al-Haddad, who were the next speaker, had a
goal which was to eliminate xenophobia against Islam
and prove that Islamic way of life is the most perfect
way of life in his lecture ''Shariah: Barbaric or
Perfect?''. In the ''Signs of the Last Hour'' Dr. Ali M.
Salah reminded the young people in the audience of
that the Judgement Day is near and that we must
prepare ourselves by doing good deeds. The last
lecture of the first day was about death by Sh. Riad
Ouarzazi' 'The Final Stretch''. He took the audience on
an emotional journey through life until death, and when
we are put into the grave. The audience was in tears
and you could feel that they wanted to change their
lives to the better in order to achieve a good end in life.
Day 2
On the second day of the conference people started to
enter the hall at 11:00 am and the program on the
stage began at 11:30 with a new introduction by Fahad
Qureshi. The first speaker of the day was Dr. Haitham
al-Haddad, who addressed the topic of ''The Future of
Islam in Europe''. It was a very enlightening speech,
suggesting for most of the people. Next lecture was
about manners by Sh. Said Rageah`s lecture,
''Manners of Islam'' where he presented the conduct
Islam teaches a man should have. The next lecture
was held by Yusha Evans ''Jesus, Jew, Christian or
Muslim?'' and was directed to the Christians. Jesus's
personality was discussed in detail. Sh. Khalid Yasin
held his first talk on PCS after Yusha Evans and it was
about ''Critical Issues Facing Humanity''. The shaykh
delivered, as always, a powerful and effective lecture,
and the audience paid serious attention. Next topic
was about paradise with Sh. Riad Ouarzazi ''A Tour of
Paradise''. The Shaykh had a unique way of creating
an image for the audience that felt so real. He took the
audience on a wonderful journey through paradise.
The last speaker for the evening was our dear host
Yusuf Chambers who told his beautiful story about
how he found Islam in his lecture ''How I Escaped the
Captivity of Darkness''. In the next part of the program
Yusuf Chambers collected donations, which will be
used to establish Norway's first Islamic information
centre. The audience donated generously. To
conclude the evening, Fahad Qureshi, Yusuf
Chambers, Dr. Haitham al-Haddad and Sh. Riad
Ouarzazi gathered on the stage. Sh. Riad had been
16 asked to improvise an entertaining play with the
aforementioned. All of them took an active part in the
play and the audience was full of laughter and joy.
Day 3
The third day started at the same time as the day before
with an introduction by Fahad Qureshi. The first speaker
on the stage was Sh. Khalid Yasin. His lecture “Making
Islam Relevance in Our Society” was aimed at Muslim
youth and dealt with challenges Muslims face today and
how Islam is relevant in our society. Next lecture “Islam:
To Practice or Not to Practice?” Was held by Dr.
Haitham al-Haddad, and was meant to get young people
to practice Islam. In the next lecture “Invite to the Way of
Your Lord”, Yusha Evans motivated those who have
already begun to practice Islam to also engage in
da'wah. The next program on stage was an open
question and answer session with the speakers where
the audience was able to get answers to all their
questions about Islam. After this session, Fahad Qureshi
held a comprehensive presentation of Islam Net's work,
organizational structure and their future plans for the
next five years. After Qureshi's presentation, Yusha
Evans held a fundraising to raise funds to take the next
step in developing Islam Net's work, the establishment of
an Islamic information centre in Norway. The guests
donated generously. The lecture “Islam: Solution for the
World?” was next in the program, and was held by Sh.
Yusuf Estes. It was his first time to enter the stage at
Peace Conference Scandinavia 2013. As expected,
Yusuf Estes kept an entertaining and engaging
presentation that captured the attention and laughter of
the audience. Afterwards, Sh. Riad Ouarzazi came on
the stage to keep the lecture “Will God Accept My
Repentance?” He captured the audience's hearts and
took them on an emotional journey while tears flowed
throughout the hall. Last, but not least, Muhammad
Abdul Jabbar held his powerful lecture “The Fitnah of the
Dajjal”. His voice shook the audience who watched
carefully. The hearts trembled while the audience got a
powerful reminder, and they loved it.
After Muhammad Abdul Jabbar's lecture, short speeches
were held by the speakers where they gave their thanks
to everyone. The volunteers were given extra credit for
their work, and were encouraged by all the speakers to
continue to contribute so that Islam Net's conferences
and their other events can continue to be successful. All
of the brothers who worked were invited up on the stage
and the sisters gathered in the middle of the room so
that all the women could see them. The names of all the
volunteers were called out while the audience said
AllahoAkbar after each name. It was a great
atmosphere. The volunteers received diplomas with the
speakers' signatures.
17 Da'wah dinner and courses held afterwards
18 19 20 PCS Da'wah Dinner
Islam Net arranged a da'wah dinner the 26th
March 2013. The evening was directed only to
those who were already engaged in da'wah or
wanted to become engaged. Many of those
who attended the dinner had been working at
the conference and therefore had not seen
much of the lectures. So, it was a special day
with refills of motivation to continue with the
work of da'wah. Yusha Evans held a lecture
about the importance of da'wah and the
reward for collecting funds for the work of
da'wah. Yusuf Estes talked about the importance of getting involved in this noble work, while Dr.
Haitham al-Haddad addressed the dilemma of priorities and finding time to da'wah. The menu was
delicious Afghan food. After the dinner, Fahad Qureshi held a presentation of Islam Nets
achievements in the recent years, and their plans for the next five years. Finally, he moderated a
panel discussion with Sh. Riad Ouarzazi, Dr. Haitham al-Haddad and Yusha Evans on da'wah in the
West. The participants took active part in the
discussion and came with suggestions for
improving our work. In addition, it was possible
to have a private talk with the speakers.
Practising Islam in the West – Part 3 –
Dr. Haitham al-Haddad
On the 27th April 2013 Islam Net kept the third
session of the series “Practising Islam in the
West”. The first two parts were held in January
and December. This time the focus was on
two topics: “Islam and Muslims' participation in
politics in Norway” and “the Muslim vision of
the West”. Dr. Haitham started on the topic “to
participate in politics”, but because the topic
was too extensive and the time was limited,
the focus was only on the first topic. We went
thoroughly through the course in order to
understand how Muslims should relate to this
important topic.
Awakening the Genius Within – Sh.
Riad Ouarzazi
After the course with Dr. Haitham al-Haddad,
Riad Ouarzazi held a management course on
April the 27th, 2013. The young Muslims got a
good introduction to the field of leadership and
the importance of creating leaders in the
Muslim Ummah. The Shaykh went through
many important aspects of leadership and how
a leader should be.
21 Results
Feedback
After the conference we had a form on our
website www.IslamNet.no where participants
could give their feedback about the conference.
We had some standard questions about
organizational issues, and an open field where
one could leave a message that was going to be
published on our website. Here is an excerpt
with 10 of the many responses we received.
Feedback 1
Peace Conference is something I am always
going to participate in. Even though I was not
there the first two days, the last day was
fantastic! It was informative; it was a real imaan
boost! So much joy spread such good energy
and positivity. All the lectures gave me thoughts
for what I would change and do. After the
conference, I would simply change myself
completely! Be a better person, pray properly,
improved my behaviour etc. It was when Sheikh
Riad Ouarzazi held his talk, that I opened my
eyes properly. His lecture hit me; many tears
flowed down my cheeks. That is when my heart
hurt. SubhanAllah, this was a wonderful speech,
and I think that the last day for PCS 2013, beat
the days from last year PCS 2012!
Feedback 2
Masha Allah it was informative and especially
inspiring to be present and listen to these
incredibly talented sheiks! I would definitely
recommend anyone who was not present to see
the videos that Islam Net will publish free online!
JazzakAllah Kheyre to everyone who made this
event a success!
Feedback 3
MashaAllah, every year after the conference, I
am left with mixed feelings because it is over,
illuminated by all the knowledge that I got
sucked in me. My imaan have been
strengthened to hold on to my faith. And last but
not least I have the hope that there is more to
look forward to next year, InshaAllah. Thank you
for this incredibly fine event, which we look
forward to every year.
Feedback 4
Know that the hard work you do is appreciated by us participants and even better by Allah (swt). May
Allah bless you all with Jannat-ul-Firdous!
22 Feedback 5
It was mashAllah very informative. Just a
wakeup call for Muslims and non-Muslims. It
was my first time and I loved it and was
supposed to be there every day, but I came from
another town so it was a bit difficult. But if there
is a Peace conference next year, there will be a
marathon for me. inshaAllah it will be more of
such conferences. The speakers were
mashAllah very clever; you have to try to get
them next year inshaAllah.
Feedback 6
I have been very motivated and inspired thanks
to you and one cannot be grateful to Allah if one
is not grateful to the people! This must be
repeated quickly, I cannot wait a whole year!
The 3 days of my life cannot be compared!
Thank you!
Feedback 7
PCS 2013 was unforgettable. There were expert
speakers who know how to reach the audience
with Allah (swt) beautiful words mashaAllah,
Kind volunteers who helped you in the best way,
and we learned a lot! I hope you inshaAllah get
the opportunity to do this next year too. But I
hope you can use a bigger venue next year
inshaAllah, for there were so many people there
that simply had to fight to get places. May Allah
swt reward you in the organization for the hard
work inshaAllah. And to you who missed it, you
really did miss something!
Feedback 8
May Allah swt reward you for ALL your work.
May Allah reward everyone who volunteered
every speaker, everyone who attended,
everyone who gave of their pockets, all the
visible and invisible, every brothers and sisters
with Jannah al Firdous. And may Allah reward
those two little sisters that I subhnaAllah have
seen in the last 3 years on every PCS running
around with their ISLAM NET buckets always
smiling collect money for this wonderful concept.
Even if people do not recognize your work and
comment well for all that you do for Islam in
Norway, continue with what you are doing, even
though nobody seems to notice it. For after all,
their work counts with Allah swt. May Allah swt
give you success, may Allah give you success
and may Allah give you success. Ameen!
Greetings from a sister who always has you in her du'a.
23 Feedback 9
Jazakomallahu Khayran for your work, may Allah
reward you for all of your intentions and all your hard
work. May Allah swt make Islam Net great and give
you lots of Barakah in your work.
Feedback 10
Jazakallah khayer! Really Thank you very much for
Mash Allah such a wonderful lecture may Allah give
you lots of lots of Ajar Ameeen. Have been there all
three days, did not want the lectures to end. I
learned a lot, changed my entire life Alhamdulellah,
and shall always participate wherever I am
Inshallah.
24 Questionnaire 1 - Organizational
After the conference we had the questionnaire ready on our website. The conference was attended by
between 3000-4500 people over the three days. The questionnaire was filled out by 107 people. The
form will not give an accurate result, but it will still give a good idea about the people's thoughts
concerning the conference. There are 21% men and 78% women who filled out the form. 56% are
between 18-24 years old, 21% between 13-17, 13% between 25-34 and 8% are between 35-44. No
one over the age of 55 filled out the form. The reason is mainly that the majority of the participants at
the conference were young people, and the few seniors who participated may not be so active on the
Internet. Here is a selection of the questions on the form with percentage distribution of the answers:
What kind of education do you have?
0% - Did not go to school
3% - Completed primary school
27% - Completed high school
49% - Completed secondary
15% - Completed Bachelor
3% - Completed Masters
0% - Completed PhD
How did you hear about the conference?
32% - IslamNet.no
54% - Facebook
1% - Poster
0% - Flyer
9% - Was told
0% - YouTube
0% - Do not remember
How comfortable was the conference?
52% - Comfortable
42% - Ok
5% - Not comfortable
What impression do you have of the conference?
80% - Very good
19% - Ok
0% - Bad
Will you attend the next conference?
94% - Yes, inshaAllah
5% - Unsure
0% - No
25 Questionnaire 2 - Content and influence
One month after the conference, we launched the second questionnaire to measure what kind of
impact the conference had on people's lives. This form was filled out completely by 80 people. Of
those who have filled 36% is male and 73% is female. Here is a selection of the questions on the form
with percentage distribution of the answers:
Age group:
26% - 13 - 17
56% - 18 - 24
16% - 25 - 34
1% - 35 - 44
0% - 45 - 54
0% - 55 +
What kind of education do you have?
0% - Did not go to school
8% - Completed primary school
27% - Completed high school
46% - Completed secondary
13% - Completed Bachelor
3% - Completed Masters
0% - Completed PhD
To what extent did the conference influence your life towards practicing Islam more?
31% - Very much!
30% - Much!
23% - Average.
11% - A little!
1% - Very little!
2% - I have not been affected!
To what extent did the conference influence you to want to engage in da'wah?
31% - Very much!
30% - Much!
27% - Average.
7% - A little!
1% - Very little!
2% - I have not been affected!
To what extent did the conference influence you to want to study Islam?
56% - Very much!
23% - Much!
13% - Average.
2% - A little!
0% - Very little!
3% - I have not been affected!
26 To what extent have your iman, your relationship with Allah and your Muslim identity
increased?
38% - Very much!
36% - Much!
18% - Average.
3% - A little!
0% - Very little!
2% - I have not been affected!
To what extent did the conference get you to stop with the listed activities that are
haram:
Backbiting
8% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
57% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
12% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
15% - Was not doing it from before.
6% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Relationship outside of marriage
20% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
6% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
1% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
71% - Was not doing it from before.
1% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Chatting with the opposite gender
12% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
30% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
8% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
1% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
42% - Was not doing it from before.
5% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Alcohol / narcotics
18% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
3% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
0% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
76% - Was not doing it from before.
1% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
27 Eating haram
20% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
2% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
5% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
71% - Was not doing it from before.
1% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Smoking
21% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
2% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
1% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
73% - Was not doing it from before.
1% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Listening to music
12% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
28% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
13% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
1% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
41% - Was not doing it from before.
2% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Showing of the body / using tight clothes
25% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
11% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
7% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
51% - Was not doing it from before.
5% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Begin haughty
18% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
18% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
2% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
58% - Was not doing it from before.
1% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
28 Working with Haram
18% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
12% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
2% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
66% - Was not doing it from before.
0% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
Spreading immoral pictures on Facebook
18% - Stopped completely and made Tawbah!
5% - Reduced it and trying to quit.
0% - Still doing it, but want to stop.
0% - Still doing it, and is happy with that.
73% - Was not doing it from before.
2% - Was trying to quit from before and was not affected by the conference.
To what extent did the conference make you improve the following acts of worship?
Praying the five obligatory prayers on time
28% - Very much!
28% - Average.
7% - A little.
3% - Have unfortunately not improved myself.
31% - Had good routine from before.
Reading the Qur'an
21% - Very much!
38% - Average.
15% - A little.
12% - Have unfortunately not improved myself.
12% - Had good routine from before.
Praying Tahajjud (extra prayer at night)
6% - Very much!
15% - Average.
22% - A little.
52% - Have unfortunately not improved myself.
3% - Had good routine from before.
Doing Dhikr
15% - Very much!
33% - Average.
21% - A little.
15% - Have unfortunately not improved myself.
15% - Had good routine from before.
29 Having good manners
30% - Very much!
38% - Average.
11% - A little.
1% - Have unfortunately not improved myself.
18% - Had good routine from before.
Searching for 'Ilm (knowledge) about Islam
40% - Very much!
35% - Average.
13% - A little.
3% - Have unfortunately not improved myself.
7% - Had good routine from before.
How has the conference impacted your life?
61% - I have found the answer to many questions.
0% - I have converted to Islam.
5% - I have started wearing hijab.
16% - I have begun to give charity.
35% - I have started reading books about Islam.
3% - I have begun to study at IOU.
35% - I have gotten engaged in Da'wah.
3% - I have stopped clean shaving.
6% - I have unfortunately not been affected.
18% - I have not been affected because I did these things from before.
Other results
Participants
The venue had space for approximately 1100
people sitting and 300 standing. The venue was
packed all three days.
Literature
We had a large assortment of
directed to non-Muslims and
Muslims that were handed out.
was sold more comprehensive
Islam to the interested.
free literature
non-practicing
In addition, it
books about
Conversions
We observed five people who embraced Islam directly at the conference. We have no statistics on the
amount of people who have been inspired and later became Muslims or will become Muslim in the
future.
30 Video production
The conference has been filmed with
professional video equipment in full HD quality
with three different camera angles. The video
material will inshaAllah be edited and made
available via YouTube and other media.
Conclusion
The work that was done before, during and after the Peace Conference Scandinavia 2013 has
resulted in a perfectly successful conference, mashaAllah. All the topics the speakers dealt with were
important and well related to current issues in society. The conference had, as mentioned earlier,
three main objectives:
1. To make information about Islam available for those who are not Muslims, answering their
misconceptions about Islam and to offer Islam's point of view about the purpose of life.
2. To awaken the hearts of Muslims who do not practice Islam and rekindle the spark of love for
Allah and His Messenger in their hearts so that they might return to Islam.
3. To create awareness about the obligation of da'wah and arouse enthusiasm among practicing
Muslims so that more people engages in this job.
Peace Conference Scandinavia 2013 was mashaAllah a great success and the three aims of the
conference are Alhamdulillah to a large extent fulfilled. The conference was truly an amazing
experience for the heart and soul. We had nine great speakers and a wonderful crowd of brothers and
sisters. Five or more non-Muslims accepted Islam. Hundreds if not thousands of hearts were touched.
It was the best conference I have attended and helped to arrange. I ask Allah to accept it from all of us
who worked so incredibly hard in order for this to be a success, Ameen. Wa Assalamu Alaykum Aa
Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh, Fahad Ullah Qureshi, Chairman of Islam Net.
31 Sources
i
Text from Islam Net, «Dr. Ali Mohammed Salah», http://www.islamnet.no/omoss/foredragsholdere/2021-dr-ali-mohammed-salah (visited: 30.03.13)
ii
Text from Islam Net, «Shaykh Dr. Haitham al-Haddad», http://www.islamnet.no/omoss/foredragsholdere/2279-shaykh-dr-haitham-al-haddad (visited 02.05.13)
http://www.islamnet.no/om-oss/foredragsholdere/2279-shaykh-dr-haitham-al-haddad (visited 28.03.13)
iii
Text from Islam Net, «Sh. Riad Ouarzazi», http://www.islamnet.no/om-oss/foredragsholdere/2200riad-ouarzazi (visited: 30.03.13)
iv
Text from Islam Net «Yusha Evans», http://www.islamnet.no/om-oss/foredragsholdere/2299-yushaevans (visited 27.03.13)
v
Text from Islam Net, «Muhammad Abdul Jabbar», http://www.islamnet.no/omoss/foredragsholdere/2199-muhammad-abdul-jabbar (visited 04.04.13)
vi
Text from Al-Maghrib, «Said Rageah», http://almaghrib.org/instructors/said-rageah#profile (visited
27.03.13)
32