Finding Islam on a Bus?

Yes - And it is working! Yusuf Estes was there along with Eddie from www.TheDeenShow.com and Dr. Sabeel just two weeks ago - Since starting last month, 14 people have accepted Islam in this project - Al Hamdulillah.

For example, Leslie C. Toole was thinking about becoming a Muslim for 10 years - but he needed something to "push him along". Well, he got his "push" from a bus in Chicago.
That's right - a bus - with a simple sign: "ISLAM" Got Questions? Get Answers!

Mr. Toole says, "I never truly committed and when I saw that sign I knew that was the final sign to complete my move." He first saw the word "ISLAM" on a pamphlet ten years ago when a man handed him a pamphlet telling him he'll find enlightenment in it.
"And I kept reading and reading and I wanted to make sure that I understand what I got involved in."
Then finally, last month while standing on a street corner downtown Chicago, it happened - A Chicago Transit Authority bus rolled up in front of him with the word again - "ISLAM"
Mr. Toole knew it was time - time for ISLAM. He says the sign caught his eyes, he thought "Now is the time - I have to do something about this" and he did. He picked up the phone and  . . . (click on Read more)

His story is quite like the stories of 13 other people living in Chicago - all of them accepted Islam this month mainly because of the efforts of www.GainPeace.com (under the direction of Dr. Sabeel) - a Chicago area outreach project of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).

The group spent $30,900 to place signs on 25 public buses serving across Chicago. The ads direct people to a toll-free hotline,
800 - 662 Islam (800) 662 - 47526, (the last number is not really necessary but it helps people to remember the phone number). A website established to help those who are seeking answers to questions about Islam and it is a very important part of the dawah project:
www.GainPeace.com

The campaign was initially to run from September 19 to October 20, but it has been extended till November 23 because of the massive positive feedback. The hotline has received thousands of calls, in addition to up to 300,000 hits on the website.
When the people of Chicago became curious and called the phone number, Gain Peace was ready for them with volunteers standing by and able to help answer their questions and send out free materials including translations of the Quran, along with The Message magazine about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and other books, pamphlets and writings about Islam.

Something Really Different

Campaigners say the aim of the bus ad campaign was to find a novel way to steer people toward information on Islam. "The topic [of the ad] is Islam: the way of life with different prophets' names," Sabeel Ahmed, Director of GainPeace says. "The bottom and top message are supposed to generate more interest in people."

Dr. Sabeel also confirmed people get a much better opportunity to know more about Islam due to the website, toll free number and live volunteers standing by to help out and provide much needed discussion and answers to questions. Talking with knowledgeable Muslims to clear up any misconceptions, biases or fears.
"We want to create a channel through the website so people can interact with us and work out the commonalities, to get to know each other better."

Mr. Toole, the new Muslim, believes that the simple yet stark ad which merely says "Got Questions? Get Answers" is a brilliant way to draw people's attention.
"I thought it was a neat idea…I had never seen that before."

The Islam ad campaign does not run in Chicago alone. ICNA, a New York-based grassroot organization that has 22 chapters across the US, has organized similar campaigns in Seattle and New York.
In Big Apple, 1,000 ads went up on the city's subway cars last month, portraying in a visual format questions that people may have about Islam. Because of campaign's success, other cities in the US and Canada have asked the group to help start similar projects.

A recent US survey revealed that the majority of Americans know very little about Islam and do not see any common grounds between the Muslim faith and their own Christian beliefs.

Mentoring  

GainPeace role does not end with educating people about Islam. When a person embraces Islam, the group appoints a Big Brother or Big Sister, who becomes a mentor for the new Muslim, proving information, support and advice. "The mentor is like a guardian angel," says Ahmed, the GainPeace director. The mentor and the new Muslim meet face-to-face and stay in touch with mails and phone calls.

Mr. Toole, who has chosen Ilyas as his new Muslim name, is very grateful to his mentor. "He's been very helpful. He's provided me with tons of books to move me forward."

GainPeace also provides the new Muslim with the Shahada package, which includes: A How to Pray DVD, a Help Yourself in Reading the Qur'an book, and brochures on various topics about Islam. It also offers online classes once a week for new Muslims, which Ilyas is looking forward to joining.

"I'll be able to learn everything from Muslims' lifestyle to prayer practices and the Arabic language." Ilyas says that the more he knows about his new religion, the more confident he feels that he has made the right decision. "It's definitely perfect for me. "It's hard to explain because when you know something is right, it’s just a deep-rooted feeling inside of you that you found home."

More? www.GainPeace.com

 And More? www.ShareIslam.com (our sister site) - enjoy!