FLORIDA BILLBOARDS DISPEL ISLAM MISCONCEPTIONS
Florida, 27 Ramadan 1436/14 July 2015 (MINA) – Presenting the true message of Islam, a new billboard campaign has been launched in Florida’s most populous city of Jacksonville to correct misconception surrounding the faith and offer reliable answers to those seeking more information about Islam.
“Mostly they call about, if they have questions, they want to visit the Islamic center, they want to meet with the Muslims, they want to get a free copy of the Qur’an, or any other Islamic literature. Just to visit the Islamic center,” Mohammad Ilyas the regional president of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) told News4Jax on Sunday, July 12. OnIslam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Launched by ICNA, the national campaign erected three Islamic billboards bearing #Who is Muhammad? throughout Jacksonville to raise awareness about Islam.
Reaching out to more than 500 thousand per week, the campaign aims to answer questions about the faith through its hotline.
According to Ilyas, ICNA volunteers have received thousands of calls since the erection of the billboards last month.
The awareness campaign came in the wake of the latest attacks across the world which were linked to Islamic extremists.
“I don’t control my color, I don’t control my language, I don’t control my ethnicity, but I control myself, my character, my conscious, I control my relationship with the other,” Ilyas said.
“I think if we change our criteria on how we judge people that’s how we can establish justice.”
Similar campaigns were initiated in different US cities where 80 billboards have been erected to dispel myths about the religion.
ICNA is one of the largest, non-profit, grassroots Muslim organizations in North America with many projects, programs, and activities designed to help in reforming society at large.
Since 1968, ICNA has worked to build relations between communities by devoting itself to education, outreach, social services and relief efforts.
Last year, ICNA launched a campaign to educate Americans about Shari`ah and dispel wrong perceptions about it.
Since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, many Muslims have complained of facing discrimination and stereotypes in the society because of their Islamic attires or identities.
A US survey has revealed that the majority of Americans know very little about Muslims and their faith.
A recent survey found that American Muslims are the most moderate around the world.
It also showed that US Muslims generally express strong commitment to their faith and tend not to see an inherent conflict between being devout and living in a modern society. (T/P007/R03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
