By Rehan Ansari, TwoCirles.net,
Mumbai: Khalid, 18, along with his friends from Afghanistan arrived on Thursday night in Somaya Ground to attend the Peace Conference. He and others are students in India and studying in Pune College and some are in Goa College.
“Our friends used to come here and they told me about the lectures of Ulema specially Dr. Zakir Naik debate but this is the first time that we are attending this conference” said Khalid.
Dr. Zakir Naik
Organised by the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, the Islamic Peace Conference has had three successful editions since 2007. Over the years, it has attracted the audience from all spheres of life from doctors, engineers to small time businessmen, students and housewives.
Ask what is so attractive about the Peace conference and Asif, 24, replied, “It gives me ample pleasure to see this conference happening in Mumbai. It’s of International standard and boosts my self-confidence that we Muslims are so organized and so professional.” Asif, is one of thousands of people who have been visiting the Peace conference, religiously for last 4 years. He further said, “The first conference was the biggest and the people including non-Muslim brothers were very impressed and there is no better work than spreading the message of Allah, i.e. total peace.”
Shakeel Ahmed, teacher in the Municipal school comes to listen to the speech of his favorite Speaker Ejaz Aslam. He said, “it’s highly admirable that one person, Dr. Zakir is managing this whole event so easily.”
Manzar Ahsan Salafi, 44, a businessman from Mumbai is also a regular visitor of the peace conference and his favorite speaker is Shaikh Ashfaque Salafi. He said, “Issues that are discussed here are very relevant and people must be guided on these topics.”
Besides other renowned speakers, Dr. Zakir Naik pulls greater audience and that is the common perception among different visitors and volunteers. Rafique Ansari, 58, a visitor said politically, “there is no comparison among speakers but yes Dr. Zakir Naik’s lecture is very educative and he works hard on the subject of speech.”
Mohammed Khurshid, 50, a businessman from Hyderabad has adjusted his trip to Mumbai to match the dates of Peace conference. He was very excited to see such a big event live. He said, “We used to see Dr. Zakir and other speakers on Peace TV but this is the first time that I am witnessing it Live.”
Besides listening to lectures very seriously, women, who are more than their men counterpart in the audience, are fond of exhibition and Halal expo, a shopping Mall inside the ground. Salma, 46, a housewife said, “I came here before the lecture so that I could buy burqa for myself. She further observed, “Turnout this time is low.”
Replying the question of low turnout of the audience Aslam Khan, a volunteer who looks after the Quality Control said, “Audience keeps rotating. People in Mumbai are busy and we therefore declare our programme in advance to make it convenient for the people to visit here according to the speaker they like and secondly on Weekdays masses come to listen these prominent speakers.”
Peace conference normally is held in November but has to prepone it because of Diwali, Haj and Navratri but dates coincided with the terminal exams happening here in Mumbai and this might be the reason for the low turnout.
[TCN photos by Rehan Ansari]