Dawah

• Mercy Mission has recently distributed celebratory Eid Mubarak packs to all its sponsors with a summary of the year’s work.  This has included a postcard and powerful video campaign – Just Go Do It! – reminding those from a Muslim background of the importance of Salah in enriching their lives.  Mercy Mission also successful pulled off a mass publicity Dawah campaign on a scale and subtlety never seen before in the UK and Abroad.  Posters on national underground and buses link to a website - http://www.letsloveit.com/ which offers an altogether refreshing approach to dawah, focusing on the purpose of life.  Educational information packs on Islam were also distributed to commuters at key underground stations such as Liverpool Street in a relaxed and welcoming manner.
• IERA, a convert led dawah research organisation which has been running for over a year also celebrates a good innings.  Its flagship research ‘Perceptions on Islam and Muslims’ was released by press conference in July and is available at http://www.iera.org.uk/research1.html for viewing.  Surveying 500 Non-Muslims, who were interviewed by a paid Non-Muslim surveying agency, statistics were collated on a range of topical issues.  Answers to questions such as ‘Have you ever spoken to a Muslim about their religion?’ and ‘Do you think Muslims are the major cause of community tension?’ proved interesting. IERA encourages all those with an interest in Dawah to consider a research led approach in guiding the way forwards.  Future goals of the organisation include a paper on Muslims and the Media - a synthesis of Western thought into how the media impact perception and numerical analysis on the case for Media misrepresentation.  IERA’s Hamza Tzortzis  single handedly wins the prize for most number of debates attended within the shortest period of time!