Ahmadis mark 5th Khilafat with symposium
The Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulana Alhaj Noor Mohammed Bin Salih, has stated that this year’s Khilafat, which is the fifth, will be celebrated outdoors to do away with the negative perceptions people have about it.
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According to him, because the celebration is usually done in the confinement of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, people have misconstrued the whole meaning of the celebration.
He was speaking at a press conference organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission to inform the press and the general public of the celebration in Accra.
Khilafat
The Khilafat day was the first commemoration to be institutionalised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission and held on May 27 every year. It is intended to draw the attention of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to the importance of Khilafat as an institution. Khilafat is an Arabic word which refers to spiritual religious succession or representation in leadership.
Misconception
Maulana Bin Salih explained that because a lot of education had not been done about the day and its significance, some people had negative perceptions about it due to recent activities of some Muslim extremists.
“Recent activities of some Muslim extremists such as the Al-shabab, Boko Haram, ISIS and the rest have been interpreted as an act of khilafat,” he said.
He explained that this was why the celebration this time would be commemorated with a symposium on May 31, where the general public would be educated on the very existence and significance of the Khilafat celebration.
“We believe the time has come for us to educate Ghanaians and the world at large so that the negative perceptions can be cleared. So this time, we are taking the celebration from the mosque to the general public,’’ he added.
