New York: To bolster the image of Islam, tarnished by organisations like al-Qaeda and Islamic State, a Muslim group in the United Sates of America (USA) has come up with a billboard campaign to showcase Islam as a religion of love and tolerance.
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has launched the nationwide campaign #WhoisMuhammad with 50 billboards having about 8.2 Million weekly impressions.
The cities, where the billboards have been put, include Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Houston, Dallas, Sacramento, Chicago and Atlanta.
“The billboards encourage people (8.2 million weekly impressions), encourage dialogue and increase understanding, as well as to dispel the growing disinformation about Islam and its Prophet,” said a press release by the ICNA.
The billboards invite passers-by to call the toll-free number, 1-877-Why-Islam, or visit the website, www.WhyIslam.org to find answers to questions about Jihad, Terrorism, Women Rights, or to order their free copy of the Quran or other literature.
“The billboards have generated a lot of interest. People are curious to know about the Prophet Muhammad. They have many questions, therefore, we are experiencing a surge in calls to our hotline and website visits,” said Mr. Naeem Baig, the President of ICNA.
Billboards, mainly in English but some in Spanish, exhibit messages such as “Muhammad believed in peace, social justice, women's rights” and ‘Muhammad always taught love, not hate; peace, not violence.”
ICNA's National campaign also includes an additional 50 billboards in June, over 100 educational videos, Global Messenger Day featuring over 100 outreach booths, a national convention in Baltimore with 20,000 delegates, and events in over 25 cities and college campuses along with interfaith seminars dedicated to addressing questions about the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith.
