Why Islam Dawah Blitz on Billboards, Buses and Subways

All of you have heard of 877-WHY-ISLAM, Right?

Alhumduillah Why Islam (ICNA) is taking dawah to the next level, marketing Islam and bringing campaigns to educate Non Muslims in many states/cities across the U.S. If you live in N.Y., Texas, California, New Jersey, you may have seen ads running on trains, buses and billboards.

According to Lisa Fernandez, Mercury News

For the first time ever, billboards asking “Why Islam?” have sprouted up in San Jose, Santa Clara and Concord, along with a blitz of posters on buses and bus stops — a campaign to educate people about the religion and fight negative stereotypes. The ads offer free Korans and a toll-free number people can call to seek answers about the oft-misunderstood religion

“The best-case scenario of this campaign would be to show the public that Muslims are hardworking, peace-loving family contributors,” said Ahmed Khaleel, 30, of Santa Clara, the outreach coordinator for the Bay Area Chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America, which is sponsoring the “Why Islam” project. “Since Sept. 11, Islam has stood at the focus of negativism. Islam is not synonymous with terrorism.”

To that effect, one of the billboards, along Interstate Highway 880 at Brokaw Road in San Jose, says Islam follows the teachings of “Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.” Some of the billboards are also in Spanish. (The billboards spell “Quran” with a “qu,” although many Americans spell the word “Koran.”)

Ameen Ashraf of Santa Clara, vice president of the local ICNA chapter, said after a similar ad campaign ran in San Francisco in February, hot line volunteers fielded a spike of about 800 calls in two months. He noticed several new faces at his Santa Clara mosque — visitors from Berkeley or San Francisco — who said they came after seeing the signs.

Mash’Allah! This reminds me of the Ayah

“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance”

(Holy Qu’ran 16:125)

Pictures of Why Islam Campaigns
Silicon Valley

U.S. 101 and Tully Road in San Jose are part of an awareness campaign sponsored nationally by the Islamic Circle of North America, which seeks to dispel misinformation about the Islamic religion.

In a bus shelter on the El Camino in Santa Clara are part of an awareness campaign sponsored nationally by the Islamic Circle of North America, which seeks to dispel misinformation about the Islamic religion.