Togetherness tour kotahitanga
Event Information
About this event
Togetherness tour, Kotahitanga is a unique opportunity to learn about the Islamic religion and culture and create better understanding and harmony in Aotearoa.
We are blessed to have an internation speaker, John Fontain, joining us, as well as "What is Islam" exhibition.
There will be a short talk, followed by Q&A session.
Lets spread the message of togetherness in our communities.
Voice of Islam presents free exhibition and short talk by international guests in regions around the country to bring our community together in view of the tragic events in Christchurch last year.
Through creating better understanding between communities we can stop hate.
International guest speaker: John Fontain, a British man who used to be a Jazz singer and a successful Diamond trader until he accepted Islam and dedicated his life to Da’wah. John Fontain was born in Manchester, UK to a working class Christian family. When he was eighteen, he struck ‘diamond’ deals with some of the West African immigrants who had come to England, and thus, went to visit Sierra Leone in West Africa. On his way, he was stuck in Senegal, penniless. Seeing his plight, a Muslim hotel manager offered him shelter in his own home. During his stay, he marveled at the courteous mannerisms of his host, and recalls that when he first heard the Azan, it was as if ‘his heart was ripped out of his chest’. He would watch his Muslim hosts offer their prayers; this brief period in Senegal was his first positive impression about Islam.One day in 2008, while in Egypt, he went to a Mosque in Cairo to pray. When he was about to do so, his friend told him he could not pray until he had taken the Shahadah (Muslim declaration of faith). John was stunned at this point because, all this time, even having hung around with Muslim friends in England, no one had ever told him about the Shahadah, the actual entry into Islam, the passage of safety in the Hereafter!In 2011 he found out he had a brain tumor (of which he is now recovered). It was a blessing in disguise that gave him the time and opportunity to call people to Islam full time. In 2012 he went back to Sierra Leone and started to look for opportunities where he could help. Today he is working through an organization called ‘Volunteer Sierra Leone’ with over 65 Muslim schools to provide better education to over 14,000 students throughout Sierra Leone.
Voice of Islam, in partnership with Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) would like to confirm that the NZ tour will be held from the 29th of February until the 15th of March 2020. During the two weeks, there will be talks by International Speakers and exhibitions held in different cities. On the 14th of March, iERA will be launching a book. This book is the first of it's kind. It explores how minorities are ostracized and made out to be 'different from others'. The book also puts forward the solutions to this issue.
Event is free, please please register