Berlin Mission Report
by Jalal-ud-Din Akbar Abdullah
The Message, September 1990 Issue, p. 11
Note by the Editor: The following report was sent by Brother Akbar Abdullah from the USA.
From 27 June until 2 July, Brother Abdul A. Santoe, accompanied by Brother Rasul Rogan, Brother Naeem Nasrullah, and his nephew, Faran Nasrullah, visited our Mission at Berlin. Brother Santoe, besides resolving pressing problems at the Berlin Mosque, accomplished some commendable contacts to further our Jamaat’s [Movement’s] influence in Berlin.
Meeting with Member of Parliament:
On Wednesday 29 June, Brother Santoe and his party, together with Imam Chaudhry Riaz Ahmad, were invited by a Member of Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition Conservative Party, to meet him in his office at the Parliament. Tourists generally form long lines, usually waiting for nearly three to four hours before they could enter the Parliament, but the Member of Parliament came outside to meet Brother Santoe and his party and led them to his office. The Member of Parliament at one time led a German delegation to Suriname, and considered that country, with its diverse ethnicity, an example of most tolerant nation. When he learned that Brother Santoe hailed from Suriname, he extended his invitation. Afterwards, he gave Brother Santoe and party a complete tour of the German Parliament. Addresses were exchanged to maintain their contacts in order to foster further communications and exchange of ideas to their mutual benefits. Jazak Allah! This is a great opening for our Jamaat in Berlin.
Visit to the Iranian Embassy:
On Friday evening, 1 July, the Cultural Attaché from the Cultural Division of the Iranian Embassy invited Brother Santoe and his party to attend a lecture on Islam rendered in English and Farsi. After a half an hour’s lecture, a session of formal talks took place. Thereafter, the group broke off to engage in informal conversation with other members of the audience. Brother Santoe’s participation is a good example to further the influence of our Jamaat in Berlin. Jazak Allah!
Khutbah [Friday Sermon] in German at Berlin Mosque:
In nearly 18 years, perhaps this is the first time a member of our Anjuman rendered the khutbah entirely in German. Well, Brother Santoe braved it and took the initiative to deliver the Friday sermon completely in the German language. Those members of the congregation who had not yet entered the Mosque thought that a German national was delivering the khutbah. One visiting Turkish Professor complimented Brother Santoe on his delivery and said he saw no contradiction to Islam in his message when earlier he had heard negative things about our Jamaat from Sunni groups. Since the khutbah in German was well appreciated by the congregation, Brother Santoe agreed to visit Berlin to render a series of khutbahs [sermons] in German.