Finding Islam on Chicago Bus

Finding Islam on Chicago Bus
By Aisha Qidwae, IOL Correspondent
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?
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CHICAGO — Leslie C. Toole has been considering to embrace Islam for
the past ten years. But when the Chicagoan teacher saw a simple, yet
striking ad on a public bus, he knew the moment has come.
Forteen Chicagoans embraced Islam this month alone thanks to the
Islam ad campaign of GainPeace. (IOL photo)

"I never truly committed and when I saw that sign I knew that was the
final sign to complete my move," Toole, 45, told IslamOnline.net.
Toole had come across Islam on a street corner 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."

Just last month, an Islam advertisement rolled past him on one of the
Chicago Transit Authority buses. The sign caught his eyes and
eventually he called the number on the giant ad.

"How to become a member of Islam was my primary question." Toole
embraced Islam on Monday, September 29.

His story is similar to that of 13 other Chicagoans accepted Islam
this month alone thanks to the Islam ad campaign of GainPeace, 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, and a website established to help those who are
seeking answers to questions about Islam.

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 curious Chicagoans dial the hotline, GainPeace also provides
them with an English copy of the Noble Qur'an, The Message magazine
on Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as well as
brochures and books on topics related to Islam.

Novel

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, told IOL.

"The bottom and top message are supposed to generate more interest in
people."

Ahmed affirms that with the hotline and the website, people would get
the chance to know more about Islam, with the opportunity to call
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."

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

"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," Ahmed told IOL.

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.

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."

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