In order to create awareness and education about Islam, "Peace – Vision of Islam 2010," a five day Islamic exhibition cum conference opened up in India on January 13, 2010.
The event is a regular feature in the city from last several years and coincides with the harvest festival ´Pongal,´ when there is long and extended holidays. People of all faiths flock to this event and over 4 lakh visitors so far have benefited from the previous events.
The event promises to provide an exciting window of knowledge to explore, discover and understand the true message of Islam. The exhibition showcases the rich culture and heritage of Islam. There are beautiful big charts that display the holy Quranic verses and Ahadees (sayings of Prophet Mohammed) with their translations in Urdu, Tamil and English. The volunteers explain the subjects of the displayed Quranic verses and Ahaadees in their proper perspective.
One exhibit said: "O people! Behold, we have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware." [Qur'an 49:13]
The exhibition has specially designed stalls exclusively devoted to several aspects of Islam. Islamic Banks, Islamic book, Halal Food Products, Educational Islamic Audio-Video CDs, Health Products, Hajj and Umrah Organizers, Islamic Da´wah Centre, Garments: Hijab, Abaya, Caps, etc. are some of the exhibits at the venue.
Some other activities going on at the venue are: seminars, workshops, inter-faith dialogue, matrimonial services, distribution of Qur´an and Islamic literature etc.
Many schools and colleges have also setup stalls where inter-school and inter-college competitions, career guidance and counseling are being done. There are also food courts where food stalls sell different vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
People from all walks of life were visiting the exhibition and showing keem interest in all the activities going on there. "This event offers a unique interactive opportunity to learn about Islam from the original sources" said Vasudevan, a bank employ visiting the exhibition with his family.
One of the important features of the event is the public lecture delivered by eminent Islamic speakers on various subjects. The lectures are held in English, Tamil, Urdu and Malayalam.
"Every one may agree that Islam is one of the most misunderstood religions in the world today. There exist deep rooted prejudices against this faith, but without going into the reasons for it, there is an urgent need to work towards changing this misplaced concept,” says Syed Zakir Ahmed, the brain behind this concept.
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