The Review of Religions July 2017

Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya: Celebrating
25 years
14
Meet the Men and
Women Working at
MTA
30
Solidarity Amidst
Terror
72
The Pillars of Islam
86
VOL. 112 - ISSUE SEVENJULY 2017 WWW.REVIEWOFRELIGIONS.ORG
“Ishallcausethymessageto
reachthecornersoftheEarth”

The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
prophesied
that the Promised Messiahas
would be raised near a
white minaret, east of
Damascus. This prophecy
was fulfilled with the advent
of the Promised Messiahas
from Qadian, India, a city
directly east of Damascus.
The Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
©makhzan-e-tasaweer
founder of
the review of religions
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, the Promised Messiah
and Mahdi was born to a noble family in Qadian, India.
From an early age he had a keen interest in religion and
developed a love for the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
. He
was also known for his honesty, friendliness and resolve.
Over time his knowledge and understanding of religion
and its application to society deepened. Being a Muslim
it was his firm belief that all religions were true at their
source but with the passage of time had drifted away
from their original teachings; he upheld the dignity of
religion and demonstrated its relevance to everyone.
His earnest defence of religion was ultimately blessed
when he started to receive direct revelation from Allah
– a blessing that he continued for the rest of his life.
His mission was to revitalise the truth that all religions
held within them and to revive the teachings of Islam. It
was through this that he would bring mankind together
and establish everlasting peace.
In 1889, under Divine Guidance, Hazrat Ahmadas
founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – a
community that has since grown in its stature and
strength and has remained active in conveying the
message of Islam to the ends of the earth.
Hazrat Ahmadas
had established himself as a respected
writer and had written over 80 books. His writings
have been translated into more than 60 languages and
continue to inspire readers to this day. One of his greatest
scholarly works was The Philosophy of the Teachings of
Islam, prepared as a paper and read out at the Conference
of Great Religions in 1896.
He also wrote a fascinating treatise in 1899 entitled Jesus
in India, a book that uncovered remarkable evidence
of Jesus’sas
journey to India. In 1902, the Promised
Messiahas
initiated The Review of Religions which has
covered a vast array of topics on religion, philosophy
and contemporary issues of the day. It is the longest
running English magazine in defence of Islam and the
values it teaches.
From 1889 until the time of his demise in 1908 tens
of thousands of people accepted him. This blessing
has continued and will continue through his Khulafa
(successors).
Currently under the fifth successor, we are seeing that the
tide of acceptance is worldwide and that the message of
Prophet Ahmadas
has really reached the ends of the earth.

And the believers, men and
women, are friends one of another.
They enjoin good and forbid
evil and observe Prayer and pay
the Zakat and obey Allah and
His Messenger. It is these on
whom Allah will have mercy.
Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.’
ISLAM, THE HOLY QUR’AN,
9:71
The Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings be upon him,
narrated: ‘Allah the Almighty
says, “I have nothing to give
but Paradise as a reward to that
believer, who, if I take someone
away from among his loved ones
(or relatives), he then remains
patient and shows steadfastness.”’
ISLAM, SAHIH BUKHARI,
BOOK 81, HADITH 13
As inhabitants of the same country,
we are mutual neighbours.This
requires that we become friends
to each other, with purity of heart
and sincerity of intentions. We
should dispose kindly to each
other and be mutually helpful.
In the difficulties pertaining to
religious and worldly matters, we
should exercise such sympathy
towards each other as if we have
become limbs of the same body.
ISLAM, HAZRAT MIRZA
GHULAM AHMADAS
,
MESSAGE OF PEACE, 5-6
There are friends who pretend to
be friends, but there is a friend
who sticks closer than a brother.
JUDAISM, PROVERBS 18:24
Greater love has no man than
this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.
CHRISTIANITY, THE BIBLE,
JOHN 15:31
The friend who is a helper all the
time,The friend in happiness
and sorrow both,The friend
who gives advice that’s always
good,The friend who has full
sympathy with you,These four
the wise see as good-hearted
friends, And with devotion
cherish such as these, As does a
mother cherish her own child
BUDDHISM, III.187
SIGALOVADA SUTTA, DIGHA
NIKAYA
Friend! listen to the benefits of
holy company: Thereby is cast off
impurity, vanished are millions of
sins, And purified is the mind.
SIKHISM, ADI GRANTH,
BILAVAL, M.5, P. 809
Sit in the assembly of the
honest; join with those that
are good and virtuous; nay,
seek out a noble enemy where
enmity cannot be helped and
have nothing to do with the
wicked and the unrighteous.
HINDUISM, GARUDA PURANA
112
Friendship
WORLD FAITHS

14 Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya International:
Celebrating 25 years
Twenty-five years ago, the Fourth
Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community – Hazrat Mirza Tahir
Ahmadrh
– inaugurated Muslim
Television Ahmadiyya International,
the first 24-hour Muslim television
station. At MTA’s 25th
anniversary
dinner, His Holiness, Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih Vaba
, reflected on
the past and future of this station.
HAZRAT MIRZA MASROOR AHMADABA
, WORLDWIDE
HEAD OF THE AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY
30 Meet the Men and Women
Working at MTA
Meet the people working
tirelessly behind the scenes
to ensure MTA International
reaches the corners of the earth
70 A Glimpse into the Life of
The Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa
72 Solidarity Amidst Terror
After the horrific attacks in
Manchester and London Bridge,
Britons come together to show
support and solidarity.
IMAM FARHAD AHMAD & IMAM ZISHAN KAHLON,
LONDON, UK
86 The Pillars of Islam
The Promised Messiahas
explains the five fundamental
pillars of Islam in depth.
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS
, THE PROMISED
MESSIAH & IMAM MAHDI
102 Calendar of Religious Events
Front cover picture:
sofronn | shutterstock
CONTENTS
JULY 2017 VOL.112 - ISSUE SEVEN

WORLD
CRISIS
M I R Z A M A S R O O R A H M A D
PEACE
andthePathwaytoThe world is passing through very turbulent times.The
global economic crisis continues to manifest newer and
graver dangers almost every week. The similarities to
the period just before the Second World War continue
to be cited and it seems clear that events are moving
the world at an unprecedented pace towards a horrific
Third World War.
In this book, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad,
the Head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community warns the world of the fast approaching
dangers and how it can avert disaster and chart a
course to peace.
WORLD
CRISIS
PEACE
andthePathwayto
9 781848 808584
ISBN 184880858-5
9 781848 808577
ISBN 184880857-7
WORLDCRISISandthePathwaytoPEACEMIRZAMASROORAHMAD
Please Note.
Background colour:
C=10
M=10
Y=0
K=100
From His Holiness – Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
– comes a groundbreaking vision for how to estab-
lish long-lasting peace in a world fraught with rapidly
increasing disorder and unrest. His Holiness reminds
world leaders that the flames of war are already burn-
ing through local and regional conflicts and we stand
at the precipice of another world war. If these sparks
were to truly ignite we could witness the horrific
reality of a nuclear war, whose consequences are
unimaginable. His Holiness is the Worldwide Head
and Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
– which has tens of millions of followers in over
200 countries.
World Crisis and the Pathway to Peace is a collection
of the historic addresses and letters by His Holiness to
world leaders and influential figures. In this book, His
Holiness offers consummate analysis on all aspects
of the global crisis; political, economic, social and
spiritual and provides the golden keys to resolving
the critical problems the world faces. In a world where
existing strategies for peace have failed and peo-
ple are desperately looking for a new direction, His
Holiness presents fresh and practical solutions, giving
hope that we can still prevent a global catastrophe.
(continued on back flap)
s,
d
y,
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e
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t
e
r
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-
e
m
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-
f
n
s
s
o
.,
e
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The world is passing through turbulent times.The global economic crisis
continues to manifest new and grave dangers at every juncture.The
similarities of the current circumstances to the build-up of the Second
WorldWar are stark. Events appear to be moving us rapidly towards a
ThirdWorldWar.The consequences of a nuclear war are beyond
our imagination.
In this book, the historic addresses of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, Fifth
Khalifah of the Promised Messiahas
and Supreme Head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to prominent dignitaries at Capitol Hill, the
House of Commons, the European Parliament and other notable locations
around the world have been collated.The book also includes the momentous
letters sent by His Holiness to the numerous world leaders. Over and over
again, His Holiness has reminded all that the only means of averting a global
catastrophe is for nations to establish justice as an absolute requirement of
their dealings with others. Even if mutual enmity exists, impartiality must
be observed at all times, because history has taught us that this alone is
the way to eliminate all traces of hatred and to build everlasting peace.
Read online at: www.alislam.org
Purchase the book here:
http://store.alislam.org/

CHIEF EDITOR & MANAGER
Syed Amer Safir
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
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MANAGEMENT BOARD
Munir-Ud-Din Shams (Chairman), Syed Amer Safir (Secretary), Mubarak Ahmad Zaffar, Abdul Baqi Arshad,
Ataul Mujeeb Rashed, Naseer Qamar, Abid Waheed Ahmad Khan, Aziz Ahmad Bilal

The
Promised Messiahas
& imam mahdi
( g u i d e d o n e )
founder of
the review of religions
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas

The Reality that Leads
to God is in the
Holy Qur’an
W
e are a witness and testify before the whole world
that we have found in the Holy Qur’an the reality
that leads to God.We have heard the voice of God
and have witnessed the signs of the mighty arm of Him Who
has revealed the Qur’an. We believe that He is the True God
and is the Master of the worlds. Our heart is filled with this
certainty as the ocean is filled with water.We,therefore,invite
everyone to this faith and to this light on the basis of enlight-
ened perception. We have found the true light which dispels
all darkness and which really renders the heart cold to all that
is beside God.This is the only way by following which a person
emerges from the grip of passion and the darkness of the ego
as a snake sloughs off its skin.1
endnotes
1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
, The Essence of Islam, vol. 1 (Tilford,
Surrey: Islam International Publications, 1993), 385.

TheHONOURofPROPHETS
another. The
s of religion.
hless, yet the
alvation. So
e Promised
ure is weak,
o, owing to
or humanity,
ra, God has
ts, but none
of Islam in
present age,
ercessor that
ree mankind
hilosophy of
ilty and his
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
HAZRATMIRZAGHULAMAHMAD
The
HONOUR
of
PROPHETS

E
very human being seeks salvation in some form or another. The
concept of salvation holds pivotal importance in matters of religion.
A faith unable to deliver its followers from sin is worthless, yet the
progress and benefit of society depends on this very salvation. So where
should one turn to attain it?
In this work, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah
and Mahdi, explains that since human nature is weak, salvation can only be
attained through a mediator who, owing to their perfect relationship with
God and deep sympathy for humanity, can serve as a link between God and
man. In every era, God has conferred salvation upon humanity through His
prophets, but none can match the unparalleled status held by the Prophet
of Islam in this respect, who was the paragon of perfection. In the present
age, it is this pure and blessed prophet who is the only intercessor that can
grant humanity a living relationship with God and free mankind from the
shackles of sin.
The author presents an exquisite exposition on the philosophy of divine
intercession, sinlessness, forgiveness, human frailty and his advent as the
Promised Messiah.
NEW
BOOK
The
HONOUR
of
PROPHETS

First International
Shroud Conference
International guest speakers include:
Bruno Barberis: President of the Scientific
Committee of the International Centre
of Sindonology of Turin - Turin, Italy.
Barrie Schwortz: Official Documenting
Photographer for the Shroud of Turin
Research Project in 1978 - Colorado, USA.
Mark Guscin: Leading Sudarium of Oviedo
Researcher & Expert - La Coruna, Spain.
David Rolfe: BAFTA award winner &
the Editor of the British Society for
the Turin Shroud Newsletter - UK.
Entrance to the conference is by registration
only, please visit: www.RoRexhibition.org
New this year: the replica of the
Sudarium of Oviedo, believed to
be the cloth placed on the face of
Jesusas
following his crucifixion.
LIMITED
SEATS
REGISTER
NOW

Discover how calligraphy
has formed an integral
aspect of Islamic culture
Visitors will have the chance to explore an
incredible collection by Razwan Baig, one
of the largest private collectors of Islamic
art in the UK. These will include artefacts
from Islamic history which portray the
beauty and intricacy of this fine art.
There will also be a special seminar on
Islamic calligraphy by Razwan Baig and
other leading experts in Islamic art.
The Al-Qalam Project was founded by Razwan
Baig and was officially launched by Hazrat
. The project is the first
of its kind in which each participant writes, by
hand, a single verse of the Holy Qur’an, thus
creating the first collectively handwritten copy
of the Holy Qur’an by members of the public.
www.RoRexhibition.org
Jalsa Salana UK, 28th, 29th, 30th July 2017
The Review of Religions is pleased to present a three-
day multi-faith exhibit at the annual convention of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at Alton, Hampshire.
CHECK
TIMINGS
ONLINE

‫اگ‬‫ٔوں‬�‫کت‬‫انکروں‬‫ےک‬‫زنیم‬‫وک‬�‫ریتی‬ ‫ں‬ ‫ی‬‫َم‬
‫ض‬ْ‫ر‬َ ْ
‫اْل‬ َ‫اف‬َ‫ر‬
ْ
‫ط‬َ‫ا‬ ٰ‫صی‬ْ‫ق‬َ‫ا‬‫ی‬
َ
‫ل‬ِّ‫ا‬ َ‫ک‬َ‫ت‬َ‫و‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫د‬ ُ‫غ‬ِّ‫ل‬َ‫ب‬ُ‫ا‬‫ا‬َ‫ن‬َ‫ا‬
I SHALL CAUSE THY
MESSAGE TO REACH THE
CORNERS OF THE EARTH
In 1898, the founder of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community and Promised
Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas
received a revelation in the Urdu
language from God Almighty Himself:

Avwg †Zvgvi cÖPvi‡K c„w_exi cÖv‡šÍ cÖv‡šÍ †cuŠQve|
。我将使你的教义传达到大地的每一角落
Я сделаю так, что твое благовестие
распространится до всех уголков земли.
ِّ‫ض‬ْ‫ر‬َ ْ
ْ
َ
ْ
َ
‫اگ‬‫ٔوں‬�‫کت‬‫انکروں‬‫ےک‬‫زنیم‬‫وک‬�‫ریتی‬ ‫ں‬ ‫ی‬‫َم‬
ْ
َ

A
fter reciting Tashahhud,Ta’wwuz
and Surah Al-Fatihah, Hazrat
said:
‘Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, today we
are celebrating the 25th
anniversary of
MTA International. Remember, this is
the age of the Promised Messiahas
and it
is about this era that Allah the Almighty
revealed to the Holy Prophetsa
that it
would be a time in which there would be
many great technological advancements,
including the establishment of the press.
This prophecy incorporated not only the
printing press,but also refers to the many
other forms of media that we see today,
including television and radio, as well
as the more recent phenomenon that is
social media.
Whilst these mediums are routinely
being used elsewhere to spread vice and
immorality,through MTA they are being
used to spread the true teachings of Islam
and to prove the truth of the Promised
Messiahas
throughout the world.
Over the past 25 years, MTA has, with
the Grace of Allah, done an outstand-
ing job in conveying the true message
of Islam to all parts of the world and
has proven an excellent means of tabligh
[preaching and propagation] and tarbi-
yyat [moral training]. MTA’s content is
completely distinct from all other broad-
casters, as our programmes are those
that impart only teachings of morality
and piety and are a means of spiritually
enriching the viewers.
Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya
International:
Celebrating 25 Years
ADDRESS BY HAZRAT KHALIFATUL MASIH VABA
AT
A HISTORIC RECEPTION TO CELEBRATE THE 25TH
ANNIVERSARY OF MTA INTERNATIONAL
16 THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS | JULY 2017

They are free from all forms of immorality,
indecency and impropriety.Furthermore,
as modern technology and innova-
tion has continued to evolve at a rapid
pace, MTA has, by the Grace of Allah,
been able to adapt to the latest develop-
ments. For example, as viewing trends
have changed in recent years, MTA has
kept up to date by developing increased
online content through its website and
its on-demand service.Furthermore,it is
now also making positive strides to uti-
lise social media to further spread MTA
content. Hence, through these different
ways,the message of true Islam is reach-
ing hundreds of thousands of people
through new avenues.
No one could ever have imagined 25 or
even 20 years ago, when MTA was in its
formative stages,how far and how quickly
it would advance and develop.Certainly,
if we rewind the clock 30 years, no one
could have comprehended the way the
message of the Jama’at was destined to
spread through MTA. Nonetheless, the
use of the media to spread Islam was part
Remember, this is the age of
the Promised Messiahas
and it
is about this era that Allah the
Almighty revealed to the Holy
Prophetsa
that it would be a
time in which there would
be many great technological
advancements, including the
establishment of the press...
JULY 2017 | THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS 17

of the long-term vision of the Khulafah-
e-Ahmadiyya even before MTA existed.
Both Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra
and
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIIrh
expressed
their desire for the Jama’at to have its
own radio stations but, due to certain
limitations, this wish of theirs could not
be realised at that time.
Nevertheless, 25 years ago, when Allah
deemed it to be the right time, during
the period of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
IVrh
,MTA International was established
as a television channel to spread Islam’s
true teachings throughout the world.
Using the same means through which
others have long used to spread vice and
immorality,our Jama’at has spread a pure
message of righteousness,love and peace
through MTA during the past quarter
century.
This is all in accordance with the great
promise of Allah vouchsafed to the
Promised Messiahas
that:
“I shall cause thy message to reach the
corners of the earth”
In reality, the human effort involved in
the progress of MTA is minimal and
is far exceeded by the blessings and
favours of Allah the Almighty. Where
MTA started 25 years ago as a very hum-
ble channel, in which only the Friday
sermon was broadcast, its scope soon
began to increase under the guidance of
Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya. Thus, after some
time, it began to broadcast daily service
that lasted a few hours and ultimately it
became the global 24-hour channel that
we know today.
With the Grace of Allah, it has pro-
gressed leaps and bounds and through
various satellites is spreading a message
of truth to the corners of the world. As
a Jama’at,our financial resources are very
limited, and so in worldly terms it is
This is all in accordance with
the great promise of Allah
vouchsafed to the Promised
Messiahas
that: “I shall cause
thy message to reach the
corners of the earth” In reality,
the human effort involved
in the progress of MTA is
minimal and is far exceeded
by the blessings and favours
of Allah the Almighty.
muslim television ahmadiyya
international: celebrating 25 years

virtually impossible for us to run a dedi-
cated global television channel like MTA,
as the costs are so prohibitive.For exam-
ple, merely the cost of broadcasting via
satellite runs to several millions of pounds
each year. Yet, Allah the Almighty has
immensely blessed our resources so that
we are not only able to bear this huge
cost, but have also been able to estab-
lish high-quality MTA studios in many
different countries where very good pro-
grammes are being produced.
Further, where initially we had just one
MTA channel, now we have several. For
example, in 2004, MTA 2 was launched
and each day it broadcasts for several
hours in European languages, notably
French and German. Furthermore, the
earth station,based in the United States,
was established, through which MTA
broadcasts to North America and parts
of South America.Subsequently,in 2007,
MTA Al-Arabiya was founded,and since
its inception, it has proven an outstand-
ing means of spreading the message of
– or true Islam
– in the Arab world.
In a region where so-called Muslim
scholars have misguided their peo-
ple through false interpretations of the
Holy Qur’an and Sunnah [the practice
and customs of the Holy Prophetsa
] ,
through MTA Al-Arabiya, our Jama’at
has presented the true interpretation of
the teachings of Islam. Hence, MTA is
lighting a spiritual torch, guiding those
who were previously misguided,towards
the path of righteousness and,as a result,
many Arabs are joining the fold of
The audience listens to His Holiness deliver
the keynote address at the 25th
anniversary
of the establishment of Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya International. He mentioned that
the network now comprises several stations,
including MTA 2, with programs in European
languages such as French and German;
MTA Al-Arabiyya, which focuses on the Arab
world, and MTA Africa, recently established.
Makhzan-e-Tasaweer

Ahmadiyyat – the true Islam.
Similarly,last year,MTA Africa was inau-
gurated,and whilst it is in its early stages,
it is already proving extremely beneficial.
Whilst most of the programmes for
MTA Africa have been produced here in
the centre,the construction of our MTA
Ghana Studios, named Abdul Wahab
Adam Studios, is now complete. It is
a fully equipped studio, where recently
a programme has even been recorded.
Insha’Allah, many programmes will be
produced locally in the future from that
studio, which will specially cater to the
people of the African continent, whilst
key programmes produced in the markaz
(centre) will continue to be played on
MTA Africa with dubbing or subtitling
in the local languages. In a similar vein,
a new studio has been established in
Bangladesh where good work is being
done.
These blessings and this rapid advance-
ment is solely a result of the promise that
Allah made to the Promised Messiahas
that “I shall cause thy message to reach
the corners of the world”.Make no mis-
take, the spread of Islam in this era is
destined to happen. Remember, the
Promised Messiahas
himself explained
that the gilded era of the Holy Prophetsa
was the era of the completion of the
shariat. Thus, a universal, perfect and
everlasting law was revealed to the
Holy Prophetsa
in the shape of the Holy
Qur’an.
In 2016, MTA Africa was inaugurated.
Headquartered in Ghana, a new studio
has recently been constructed, named
after Abdul Wahab Adam, the late
missionary and National President of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in
Ghana who served for many years.
Momcilo Jovanov | Shutterstock

Thereafter, in accordance with the
prophecies of the Holy Qur’an and the
Holy Prophetsa
, the age of the Promised
Messiahas
was to be the blessed era in
which the spread of Islam was to reach
its climax and we are seeing this with our
own eyes. As the true devotee and most
obedient servant of the Holy Prophetsa
,
was enlightened
with the true teachings of Islam,and now
through MTA,his servants are spreading
those very teachings to millions across
the world simultaneously.
Today,there are parts of the world where
neither our missionaries, nor any other
Ahmadis have reached,yet through MTA
the true teachings of Islam have most
certainly arrived and are having a pro-
found effect upon the local people.In this
regard, I receive letters from around the
world, from people living in the remot-
est parts of Africa,Arab countries,North
and South America, Australia, Europe
and the Far East.They write that one day
they were at home flicking the channels
on their television or trying to tune them
when they came across MTA entirely by
chance.
Out of sheer curiosity they started
to watch it for a few minutes, and its
effect was so magnetic that they kept
watching and came to know for the very
first time the true teachings of Islam.
Alhamdulillah, many such people have
come to accept Ahmadiyyat and entered
the fold of the Promised Messiahas
. As I
said,the Promised Messiahas
has already
given us the glad tidings that this era is
the time in which the spread of Islam is
destined and we are all witnesses to the
fact that MTA is, under the guidance of
Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya,leading this effort.
I mentioned earlier about the growing
role of online content and social media
and certainly its importance is rising by
the day.The viewing habits of people are
Make no mistake, the spread
of Islam in this era is destined
to happen. Remember, the
Promised Messiahas
himself
explained that the gilded era
of the Holy Prophetsa
was the
era of the completion of the
shariat.Thus, a universal,
perfect and everlasting
law was revealed to the
Holy Prophetsa
in the shape
of the Holy Qur’an.

changing and so instead of only watching
MTA on their televisions,many prefer to
watch the live stream of my sermons or
of certain Jama’at events on their com-
puters or portable devices and if they are
unable to watch live,they prefer to catch
up online later.
Hundreds of thousands of people watch
in this way and so through social media
we are reaching far greater audiences
than ever before. Just a few years ago,
no one could ever have imagined that
our message could reach so far and wide,
wherein millions of people,in all parts of
the world, were simultaneously viewing
the true teachings of Islam. We should
never forget that this is the result of
the great favours and bounties of Allah
the Almighty upon our Jama’at and we
should never underestimate how fortu-
nate we are.
In respect of MTA’s history,I also wish to
pay tribute and thank those people who
were here at the start of MTA and who
served at the outset. Initially, there were
just three waqf-e-zindagis [life devo-
tees serving in the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community] serving in MTA and they
had no formal technical training. Most
of the work was done by volunteers, and
whilst some had an interest or a basic
level of training in broadcast media,
in worldly terms their experience was
nowhere near the level required to run
a television channel globally. Yet, due to
their sincere efforts and devotion, they
were able to learn on the job, and so
MTA soon became firmly established
and has never looked back since.
In terms of staff numbers, in the 1990s
there were 88 volunteers who served in
MTA, whereas today there are currently
Most of the work was done by
volunteers, and whilst some
had an interest or a basic
level of training in broadcast
media, in worldly terms their
experience was nowhere
near the level required to
run a television channel
globally. Yet, due to their
sincere efforts and devotion,
they were able to learn on
the job, and so MTA soon
became firmly established and
has never looked back since.

over 250 volunteers.In addition,there are
now 32 waqf-e-zindagis serving in MTA,
many of whom are from amongst the
Waqf-e-Nau scheme [program in which
parents pledge their unborn children to
become life devotees of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community once they reach
adulthood], and there are also 25 other
staff members working in the centre.All
employees are paid only the minimum
wage, whereas if they chose to work in
external companies they could earn far
greater sums.
Furthermore, I am very pleased to see
that the spirit of volunteerism in MTA
continues to increase, and due to the
many hours they put in, the Jama’at is
making huge savings. Whilst it costs a
lot of money to purchase equipment or
to build studios, the fact that we have
volunteers ensures that our expenditure
is kept to a bare minimum in comparison
to other television channels.
Although our contracts with satellite
companies remain our largest expense,
but even in our dealings with them we
observe the blessings of Allah, as we are
invariably offered negotiable rates which
MTA runs on the spirit of volunteerism:
even the paid staff members only receive
the minimum wage, even though they
could earn handsome salaries using their
skills at external companies. As the cost of
labour is so low for the station, the satellite
transmission contract remains the single
largest expense in running the stations.
Wang An Qi | Shutterstock

ultimately reduce the costs of satellites.
In contrast to other TV channels, we do
not broadcast any adverts on MTA and
no other company or institution could
run such a channel free from commercial
revenue or state funding.
I recall a few years ago,at a reception held
in Los Angeles, the former Governor of
California was seated next to me.During
our discussions, the topic of MTA came
up and I told him how we were broad-
casting globally 24 hours a day through
various satellites and how my sermons
or our special events were translated
live into 8 or 9 languages simultane-
ously. When I told him we were doing
all of this without broadcasting a single
advert he almost jumped out of his seat in
amazement.He was truly astounded and
could not believe that we could run MTA
without resorting to commercial revenue.
I informed him that MTA’s funding was
entirely a result of the sacrifices of the
sincere members of the Jama’at and that
Allah continued to bless whatever lim-
ited resources we had. I explained that,
with the Grace of Allah, where other
companies spent millions and millions,
we achieved the same results at a frac-
tion of the cost.Upon hearing all of this,
he was left amazed and apart from him
there have been many others who have
been left astonished at the way MTA is
run and funded.
Hence, we are the recipients of Allah’s
Favours and Help and we are witnessing
miracles on a daily basis.This is not due
to any special quality that we possess or
due to our personal excellence,rather it is
the result of Allah accepting our prayers
and blessing many times over the small
human efforts involved. During these
past 25 years, we have seen how MTA
has transformed from an initial makeshift
arrangement,where a small studio was set
up with the purpose of broadcasting just
the Friday sermon.Now,with the Grace
When I told him we were
doing all of this without
broadcasting a single advert
he almost jumped out of his
seat in amazement. He was
truly astounded and could
not believe that we could
run MTA without resorting
to commercial revenue.

of Allah, MTA has been blessed with
state-of-the-art equipment and modern
studios from where it is broadcasting
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our
programmes are broadcast globally and
some are translated simultaneously into
8 or 9 languages. Furthermore, we have
now been blessed with many regional or
national studios who all come under the
umbrella of MTA. Through these local
studios,we produce high-quality content
suitable for people from all nations and
all walks of life.
For example, we have established a
studio in Kababir [located in Haifa,
Israel] where our volunteers are mak-
ing good programmes and the same is
happening in France. In Germany and
Canada, we have established full studios
where programmes are being produced.
Similarly, volunteers are making good
programmes in the United States. As I
mentioned earlier, a full studio has now
been built in Ghana where 10 waqf-e-
zindagis are being posted, in addition to
46 volunteers and 15 other members of
staff. Also, a small studio has been set
up in Mauritius, whilst programmes are
also being produced by volunteers in
Tanzania, Uganda and Sierra Leone. As
mentioned before,MTA has established
MTA has also established studios in Kababir,
located in Haifa, Israel. Above, Mahmood
Mosque, built by the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community in Kababir, overlooks the ocean.
User RnDms | Shutterstock

a studio in Bangladesh from where a live
programme is broadcast. Over there, we
have just one full time waqf-e-zindagi,
and most of the work is being done by a
team of 55 volunteers.
In Qadian,we also have a very impressive
studio and there are many waqf-e-zind-
agis, workers and volunteers who are
serving MTA with great dedication and
many have attained excellent skills and
technical expertise.Whilst,Rah-e-Huda
was previously broadcast solely from
London, now after every six weeks it is
broadcast live for a series of eight weeks
from our Qadian studios. During the
broadcasts, our Jama’at scholars respond
to the different allegations made against
Islam or against the Jama’at and the
However, a few years ago,
MTA International was able
to purchase its own uplink
dish and so now we only have
to pay a nominal licence fee
and are free to broadcast live,
wherever and whenever we
desire, without restriction.
In this way, we are saving
huge amounts. For instance,
during my recent 6-week tour
of Canada we saved in excess
of $40,000 dollars simply
because we had our own
satellite uplink dish present.
MTA International presents His
Holiness with a gift to mark the
25th anniversary of the station.
Makhzan-e-Tasaweer

Promised Messiahas
. In Qadian there
are nine waqf-e-zindagis serving and 42
volunteers.
Also, in Pakistan, we have a small stu-
dio where good work is being done and
several programmes are being produced.
At the earth station in the United States
we have one waqf-e-zindagi serving
and six employees, who ensure that the
programmes sent from London are trans-
mitted across the region. Further, they
have also started a 3-hour delayed MTA
service, which caters for the time differ-
ence for people living on the West Coast.
Similarly,in Australia,the MTA team is
working hard and producing high-qual-
ity content.But most of the credit goes to
an Ahmadi lady, Imrana Naseer Sahiba,
who has produced some very good docu-
mentaries which have been broadcast on
MTA and been well-received.
Thus, the vast majority of the work of
MTA is being underpinned by the
service of a range of volunteers, com-
prising men,women and children,spread
throughout the world.Their efforts have
proven of great value and are saving the
Jama’at hundreds of thousands of pounds
each year.Given all of this,when we look
back over the past 25 years,we can never
thank Allah enough for the sheer weight
of blessings that He has bestowed upon
MTA.
As I said earlier,from its humble origins,
where it broadcast for just one hour each
day, it has progressed to a multi-lingual
international channel, broadcasting 24
hours a day worldwide. Increasingly,
apart from the Friday sermon, more and
more programmes are being shown live.
For example, Jalsa Salanas in different
countries are broadcast live on MTA
when I am present, whilst the Jalsas of
some other countries are live-streamed
online.Furthermore,through our online
content, we are reaching new audiences
and so our viewership is increasing all
the time.
Here in London,the MTA International
Studios continue to develop and the
equipment and machinery is constantly
improving.For example,in the past,when
we broadcast from any external location,
we had to hire a company for the uplink
service and we were bound by time
restrictions when broadcasting.However,
a few years ago, MTA International was
able to purchase its own uplink dish and
so now we only have to pay a nominal
licence fee and are free to broadcast
live, wherever and whenever we desire,
without restriction. In this way, we are

saving huge amounts. For instance, dur-
ing my recent 6-week tour of Canada we
saved in excess of $40,000 dollars simply
because we had our own satellite uplink
dish present.
Thus,just as we have observed the count-
less blessings of Allah in all spheres of
our Jama’at, we are all witnesses to the
fact that He has showered His blessings
upon MTA during the past quarter cen-
tury. This is all part of the Divine Will,
as Allah Himself promised to spread the
message of the Promised Messiahas
to the
corners of the world.
How gloriously He has fulfilled this
promise and is continuing to do so!
Whilst the people working in MTA,
whether waqf-e-zindagis, volunteers
or employees, are striving to fulfil their
duties, the truth is that our output far
exceeds our meagre efforts.
The great results we see, are in spite of
our weaknesses,and due only to the Help
of God Almighty.
Indeed, all the people involved in MTA
are extremely fortunate, because where
Allah is blessing their humble efforts,
they are also becoming recipients of His
rewards, mercy and grace.
I hope and pray that in future, more
and more Ahmadis from all parts of the
world, realise the value and blessings
associated with serving in MTA,whether
as waqf-e-zindagis or as volunteers.
As the sun sets on the first quarter cen-
tury of this blessed institution,I pray that
MTA continues to progress and furthers
its objective to reach the corners of the
earth and to make all the people of the
world know of Islam’s true teachings.
And as the dawn of the next era of MTA
rises, we can never sit back and rest in
satisfaction at our past achievements.
Rather, we must march forward with
a spirit of determination, sincerity and
It is our obligation to tell
others that this world is
not something superficial
or a place for meaningless
amusement but that we
all have a higher purpose,
which is to recognise our
Creator and to fulfil the
rights of His Creation.

devotion and understand that it is our
personal responsibility to bring man-
kind closer to its Creator and to inform
the world about the need to fulfil one
another’s rights.
It is our obligation to tell others that this
world is not something superficial or a
place for meaningless amusement but
that we all have a higher purpose, which
is to recognise our Creator and to fulfil
the rights of His Creation.
These were the overriding objectives for
which the Promised Messiahas
was sent
to the world by Allah the Almighty and
these are the objectives for which MTA
was established.
This is our mission.This is our task.This
is our future.
From the depths of my heart,I pray that
MTA continues to further the message
of true Islam and continues its great role
in tabligh and tarbiyyat.
I pray that Allah continues to grant
MTA with sincere and loyal workers and
that Allah’s great favours continue to rain
down upon MTA and that this blessed
institution always continues to go from
strength to strength, Ameen.’
YOUR FEEDBACK IS
IMPORTANT TO US
Write to us with comments,
feedback and suggestions at
info@Reviewof Religions.org

1898 1990 1992 1993 1994
A New Dawn
First Contact
Official Launch
A Global Ceremony
A Historic Milestone
Revelation received by the
Promised Messiahas
from God:
“I shall cause thy message to
reach the corners of the earth.”
The addresses of Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IVrh
at
Jalsa Salana UK were
relayed across the world
via telephone.
In 1992, MTA was
launched on Friday, the
31st
of January with the
live television broadcast
of His Holiness’ Friday
sermon.
In August, Ahmadis from
around the world took part
in the first International
Bai’at (Initiation) Ceremony,
connecting the world.
MTA International
was broadcasting on
Fridays every week,
but in June a new
milestone was reached
when it started its daily
broadcast.

1996 2006 201120072003
one
24-Hour TV
Election of Hazrat KM Vaba
Online Launches
The Arab World
First Conference
In April MTA began
a 24-hour broadcast
that broadcast to all
continents.
Immediately after
the election of His
Holiness Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
as
the fifth Khalifah, MTA
broadcast live his first
words and prayers to
the community.
The first step online
permitted viewers listen
to live translations and
regular shows.
Another glorious step
where MTA reached
across the world from
London to the Middle
East through launching
the all-Arabic MTA Al-
Arabiyya.
The first MTA Conference
brought collaborators
from around the world and
showed the level of growth,
expertise & progress since
its inception.

24 HOURS A DAY
7 DAYS A WEEK

MEET THE MEN AND
WOMEN WORKING
AT MTA
Whether the time is 3am in Bangladesh or 3pm in Ghana,
Ahmadi Muslims the world over can always count on being able
to head over to the website of MTA International and find a
whole host of informative and useful programs, ranging from
lessons in cooking to problems relating to Islamic jurisprudence.
Those shows don’t just produce themselves. A large corps
of men and women work behind the scenes, working on all
aspects of production and programming. From MTA’s humble
beginnings in one room of a mosque, manned by volunteers
with no training but plenty of enthusiasm, to today’s state-of-
the-art facilities and trained staff, the network has become a
source of information and enlightenment to people across the
globe, with four stations: MTA 1, MTA 2, MTA Al-Arabiyya
and MTA Africa. And these four stations convey the true
teachings of Islam and the instructions of Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, worldwide head of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, while also preserving the
lectures and legacy of previous Caliphs, including Hazrat Mirza
Tahir Ahmadrh
, the fourth Khalifah who inaugurated MTA and
oversaw its growth in the early years.
In honour of the 25th anniversary of Muslim Television
Ahmadiyya, The Review of Religions goes behind the scenes to
introduce you to just a few of the men and women who work
24/7 so that we can watch 24/7. While covering each and every
department in MTA would require several volumes, we hope
that these selected interviews provide a flavour of what it’s like
to work for such a unique broadcast network.

GHAALIB KHAN
MTA Head of Graphics
At 31, Ghaalib Khan has been working
for MTA for almost a decade in the
graphics department. As a life devotee of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, he
leads teams in making sure the graphics are
fresh, new and innovative, creating new
logos and other graphic elements for the
channels.
What connection did you have with MTA
growing up?
Watching the Urdu class [language classes
held by the fouth Khalifah, His Holiness
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh
] and being
part of the children’s class sometimes and
seeing the camera men running around. It
was exciting to see and I wondered what it
would be like behind the scenes.
It must have been very innovative and
novel to see the Ahmadiyya community
on TV for the first time.
When MTA first started it was only
broadcast for a few hours and on the same
frequency the Pope used to broadcast
his sermon on Vatican TV and that was
interesting seeing His Holiness and
the Pope on the same platform because
everybody knows who the Pope is and
it showed the progress of the Jamaat
[community] at that time.
How did you get involved with MTA
when you were younger?
When I was 15 or 16 I did graphics and
editing and for a few weeks in my summer
holidays I went into MTA to help out
but I had preconceived ideas about an
international studio and a TV channel so
when I got to Fazl Mosque and saw small
rooms with only a few volunteers I was
shocked that the whole channel was based
out of such a confined space.
I remember seeing a tiny studio, small
control room and an editing and graphics
room which was tiny but it was really
being used and everyone was busy which
‘THE COMPUTERS
HAVE BECOME MORE
ADVANCED AND MORE
EFFICIENT’

showed the enthusiasm and passion people
had at that time to serve the Jamaat and
make MTA as big as it is now. When you
think of BBC or big broadcasters it looked
completely different to MTA at that time
but it has grown a lot since then and all the
space was made use of.
In the graphics department what are the
main technological advancements that
have taken place?
The computers have become more
advanced and we have become more
efficient and doing better quality work.
We are progressing more in 3D animation,
which can be time-consuming and process-
intensive. Previously the 3D animations
for MTA used to take days and would
only be utilised once or twice a year but
now we can produce better-quality 3D
graphics with a faster turnaround. We are
constantly using new computer software
and technologies to keep our broadcast
up to date and to match current trends
in the broadcast industry.The graphics
department has also benefitted from new
staff coming in who have specific skills and
qualifications relating to graphic design
and arts.
What impact has Huzoor [His Holiness]
had in the work you have done?
I was honoured to be present in a few
mulaqaats [audience] with Huzoor
accompanied by other team members on
special projects. Recently I was given the
opportunity to rebrand all the channels
in MTA in terms of logos and graphics.
Once we had a mulaqaat with Huzoor and
I presented a new logo to Huzoor and I
was worried because the design I did didn’t
have much depth to it, but I had a concept,
which was fresh and new. It was a set of
rings that spun around and I thought it
represented a globe but Huzoor saw the
design and said it reminded him of a rope
‘I REMEMBER SEEING A TINY STUDIO,
SMALL CONTROL ROOM AND EDITING
AND GRAPHICS ROOM’

and if it was slightly redesigned it could
be seen as the rope of Allah [a reference
to the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 3, verse 104,
which states, ‘And hold fast, all together, by
the rope of Allah and be not divided’].This
was an amazing comment from Huzoor
because it perfectly represents how MTA
keeps the global community connected and
now that we’ve implemented the design
on our worldwide broadcast I can see how
Huzoor’s insight is so far-reaching and
knowledgeable. So Huzoor gets involved
and motivates us with new ideas and advice
for things we haven’t seen before.
UMAR SAFIR
Director of MTA Africa
In 2016, MTA International inaugurated a
new channel: MTA Africa. The new channel
broadcasts programs from MTA 1 while also
focusing on content specifically for a pan-
African audience. Umar Safir is the director of
this new channel.
You are currently serving as the director
for MTA Africa. How was the idea of
starting MTA Africa conceived?
The idea originated from the Real Talk
series filmed in Ghana. During that series
the late Wahab Adam Sahib [former
National President of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community in Ghana] introduced
us to one of the directors of Ghana
National TV (GTV). He was the producer
of the only Islamic program that was aired
weekly, called Islam and Life. We informed
him about the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community’s annual convention in the
UK (which was a few months away) and
proposed the idea to invite him to the Jalsa
[annual convention], in which he could
broadcast the Jalsa proceedings as part of
his weekly slot on GTV.This had a great
impact on the viewers and we received
phenomenal feedback from people in
Ghana. In the following year (2014) this
increased to a 90-minute slot covering each
day.This again proved to be very popular
with the audience.
One thing I would like to mention here
is that behind the scenes, the late Abdul
Wahab Adam Sahib was instrumental in
forming a collaboration between Ghana
National TV and the Ahmadiyya mission
in Ghana.The collaboration involved the
proposal that GTV would air programs
‘THE IDEA ORIGINATED FROM THE
REAL TALK SERIES FILMED IN GHANA’

prepared by MTA on a regular basis. In
return MTA International would train
their staff members of GTV and provide
their expertise. As a result of this, in 2015
GTV aired 8 hours of the UK Annual
Convention. In the background of all this,
a small team was being formed, consisting
largely of volunteers who began to make
programs on various topics.These were the
initial seeds sown for what is today known
as MTA Africa.
How did this then develop into MTA
Africa?
Until now this was known as the ‘Africa
Project’ of MTA International. However,
the vision of a separate channel dedicated
for the African continent was the
sole vision of Huzoor [His Holiness,
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba
, the
Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community]. In one of my official
meetings with Huzoor, we were instructed
to set up a studio, even if it was a small
room in the mission house in Accra,
Ghana. I then travelled to Ghana and
along with the late Abdul Wahab Adam
Sahib we immediately began searching for
a viable prospect for the studio. During
our search we came across a large plot of
land that was owned by two members of
the community at a bit of a distance from
the Accra mission.The late Wahab Sahib
wrote to the two Ahmadi members and
informed them that the Jamaat was looking
for a place to build studios and [asked] if
they would be willing to sell that piece of
land. However, their dedication was such
that when those two Ahmadis learnt of the
THE VISION OF
A SEPARATE
CHANNEL
DEDICATED FOR
THE AFRICAN
CONTINENT WAS
THE SOLE VISION
OF HUZOOR

fact that this was required for the purpose
of spreading the message of the Promised
Messiahas
, they immediately offered to
donate their land for the services of the
Jamaat.
Thus, this plot was acquired for where the
studios are situated today.
Initially the amount required for the build
was more than we had expected and I
was quite nervous to present such a large
amount during a meeting with Huzoor.
However, Huzoor graciously approved
the amount and set out his vision for
the studios. Hence the construction of a
purpose-built studio began.The studio is
now complete and fully functional with
a dedicated team on site. In the proposal
Huzoor instructed to suggest a few names
for the new studios. Deep down I really
wished for it to be named after the late
Wahab Adam Sahib as he instrumental in
implementing the guidance received from
Huzoor.Therefore in a personal meeting I
gave a list of proposed names, among them
I put the name ‘Wahab Adam Studios’.
To my great amazement Huzoor looked
through the entire list and chose the name
‘Wahab Adam Studios’ and further stated
that since he was a pioneering missionary,
the people of Ghana would appreciate this
gesture.
When was MTA Africa officially
launched?
MTA Africa was officially launched on 1st
August 2016, but you will be interested
to know that just before Ramadan (of the
same year) I had an official meeting with
Huzoor to discuss the satellite contract,
which was due for renewal. In this meeting
Huzoor said that I had one month in
which to prepare a feasibility report into
His Holiness presses the button in the MTA
Transmission room to officialy launch MTA Africa.

launching the new channel. By the grace
of Allah, since the other African countries
had been regularly contributing in making
new and innovative programs, so we had a
few months’ worth of content of programs.
Thus, within this time frame we managed
to complete the research and Huzoor
officially launched MTA Africa on August
1st
, 2016
Now that MTA has a channel specifically
catering for Africa, how has this
addressed the needs of the vastly diverse
continent?
We actually have 2 channels, MTA Africa
1 and MTA Africa 2. MTA Africa 1 covers
the entire African continent whereas
MTA Africa 2 is mainly for west Africa,
producing programs in local languages.
In terms of the content of the programs I
would like to share an interesting incident.
We prepared a program called The Truth
Unveiled. Whilst I was showing this
program to Huzoor, midway through the
program Huzoor enquired whether this
would be viewed by Christians. I replied
that there is a large Christian viewership.
Huzoor then immediately turned to the
beginning of the program and made
certain changes, stating that it may hurt
the sentiments of the Christians. In fact he
picked out a verse from the Qur’an to use
that would convey our message, whilst at
the same time not offend feelings of others.
Huzoor’s guidance was extremely valuable
in that it served as a guide in producing
all future content, whereby religious
sentiments of people of all faiths must
always be respected.
What impact has the channel had since
its launch?
On each of our programs there is a
hotline at the bottom where people can
call in and leave their feedback or seek
further information.This has proved to be
extremely beneficial in spreading the true
message of Islam. We receive countless
phone calls from people expressing
their interest and wishing to learn more
about the community. Currently there
is a team consisting of the students of
Jamia Ahmadiyya Ghana, who help with
answering any queries.Thus it is proving
to be a powerful tool for tabligh [preaching
the message].
Aside from our two MTA Africa channels,
our message is being broadcast on the
national television stations of Ghana,
Uganda, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
Additionally, our studios are operational in
eight countries.

MUNIR ODEH
Director of Production, MTA Inter-
national
As Director of Production, Munir Odeh
has the monumental task of overseeing the
production of all programs. As an early
volunteer for MTA, he has witnessed the
phenomenal growth and progress of the
network firsthand.
You have been a part of MTA from the
beginning. Prior to the start of MTA
International, how was the message of
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih [the worldwide
head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Com-
munity] conveyed to the members of the
community?
It’s interesting you ask this question
because my childhood years were spent
in Kababir [a town in Israel] where we
would receive Huzoor’s Friday sermons on
cassettes and as a young boy I remember
typing out the whole sermon, but not in
the traditional manner as we know typing
in the computer age. In fact, we would
manually print each letter of the alphabet
onto a template to be printed on a larger
scale.This process would take us weeks and
only after a few months was each Friday
sermon available in print copy. But the
launch of satellite television and MTA in
particular has projected the voice of the
Khalifah all around the world. At times
during his tours, Huzoor travels to some
of the most remote parts of the world, yet
his voice could still be relayed instantly
throughout the globe.
For example, once Huzoor was on a tour
to a village in Burkina Faso. He asked if
the Friday sermon could be televised live
on MTA. With the facilities at hand it
seemed like an impossible task. However,
it occurred to us that we could perhaps
transmit via telephone. So I decided to
obtain an international line so we could
transmit the audio. When Huzoor came
out of his residence, as there was no
picture video being relayed I decided to
audibly narrate the scenes to the listeners
worldwide. At the flag hoisting ceremony
I managed to get the telephone near
Huzoor just in time for the conclusion of
the prayer. When Huzoor said ‘Ameen’,
this was heard by listeners all over the
world and this was especially mentioned
‘HUZOOR TRAVELS TO SOME
OF THE MOST REMOTE PARTS
OF THE WORLD’

by people from around the world saying
they heard the Khalifah’s word at that time.
So in essence, MTA is the platform that
connects the Khalifah with the people of
the world instantaneously, irrespective of
which region of the world they may belong
to.
Even today having a satellite TV station
is unheard of for a community of such a
scale. What were the challenges faced in
the beginning?
This was truly the vision of Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IVrh
[fourth worldwide
head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community]. Initially when Huzoor
expressed his wish to launch a television
station, the consensus was that it was
impossible to do owing to various
constraints. In the beginning the resources
of the Jamaat were limited both financially
and in terms of the expertise to run a
television channel.The cost to acquire a
satellite was in the millions, however when
Huzoor made the call to raise funds for
this project, people responded to this call
with open hearts. Similarly, Ahmadi youth
from all walks of life, who had no prior
experience of broadcasting, sacrificed their
time to run this channel.
In the beginning we had a room that was
not bigger than 3 metres by 3 metres.That
room was the studio as well as the library,
editing suite, meeting room. Everything
associated with MTA would take place
in this room. We would spend all night
editing the programs recorded in the
day. Some of the volunteers would come
straight from work, spend all night long
with us and with minimal sleep, go straight

to work the next morning. However, these
efforts never went unrewarded.There
were many occasions when Huzoor would
come down from his residence and give us
a basket of fruit or chocolates, etc.These
were the humble beginnings of MTA but
more importantly it shows that only a Man
of God could have defied the odds and
pushed on for a seemingly impossible task
and actually succeed.
You have the opportunity to work
closely with MTA Al-Arabiyya (MTA
3) How pivotal has this been in
spreading the true message of Islam
to the Arab world?
Like with anything in our community, it
was purely the vision of Hazrat Khalifatul
Masihaba
that enabled this project to
succeed. In the beginning of this Khilafat,
Huzoor narrated some of his visions
pertaining to the Arabs accepting the
message of the Promised Messiahas
in large
numbers. It was Huzoor who inspired us to
search for the prospect of hosting another
channel for the Arab-speaking population.
It was nothing short of a miracle in the
way we managed to secure the contracts for
the broadcast of the Arab programs (the
precursor of MTA Al-Arabiyya). Hence
MTA 3 has become a means to fulfil the
vision of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
. We
have witnessed countless people from all
over the world who have seen the Promised
Messiahas
or the Khulafah in their dreams
and simply flicking through channels on
the TV they stumbled across MTA and the
path of salvation.
As the director of MTA Productions, you
have had the opportunity to travel with
Huzoor on various tours. Give an insight
into how MTA covers these tours.
MTA tries its level best to capture every
word of the Khalifah and to relay that
message to the eagerly awaiting Ahmadis
worldwide. At the same time, it tries to
capture the emotions of the Ahmadis;
however this is not a task that can be
captured through the lens of a camera.
One thing I have seen on these tours is
that the attributes of God are reflected
through the personality of the Khalifah.
The love and affection, attention to detail,
meticulous planning, connection with
the public and speed of their work is
impossible to match. It is truly a wonder
how a Khalifah manages to fulfil all their
duties in such an excellent manner, but
at the same time give time to their staff
members and show them the love they do.

TEHMEENA LUQMAN
Head of Ladies’ Production Team
Tehmeena Luqman is the Head of the
Ladies Production Team and manages
a team carrying out a range of duties,
including production of pieces for all four
channels and creating subtitles in a vari-
ety of languages for MTA International’s
global audience.
Tell us a bit about your personal and
professional background before joining
MTA.
I was born in Rabwah, moved to the
USA at a young age in 1984 and lived in
Portland, Oregon, from 1985-2004. I have
a bachelor of science degree in rhetoric
and media studies and a master of science
in human rights from the London School
of Economics and Political Science.
I intended to go into Journalism and
International Relations so started working
at the ABC News affiliate [local television
station] in Portland in college as a news
writer and did that alongside school and
other jobs for several years.
What is your position at MTA, and what
are your job duties?
I am currently the Head of the Ladies
Production Team, within the MTA
International Production Department. My
duties are incredibly varied but basically
involve implementing tasks and projects
assigned by the Director of Production,
Munir Odeh. We essentially have two main
areas of work - production and subtitling.
Production involves filming of all of
Huzoor’s [His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza
Masroor Ahmadaba
] events, filming and
editing pieces for Jalsa [annual convention
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community],
Ramadan, or any time really, making

programs and documentaries, editing fillers
for broadcast, etc. We make programs and
pieces for all platforms - MTA 1, MTA 3,
MTA Africa, social media.
Our other main area of work is subtitling,
which is also quite varied.This involves
regular transcription of programs, speeches
and events in order to provide transcripts
for translations for subtitling in other
languages such as Arabic; translations of
programs and pieces particularly Waqfe
Nau classes that air weekly but also many
other things as well; and then actual
subtitling of programs in six languages for
now. I am responsible for coordinating all
this work across countries and teams and
making sure it is done every week.
How did you start getting involved with
working for MTA, and what other posi-
tions/duties have you had there?
I first joined as a news writer [in 2001].
I would write news scripts from home in
the USA at about 3am and send them to
London a couple of times a week. I became
Head of the News Editorial Team a few
years later. In January 2009, the entire
way news was done was re-vamped and we
were all called in to discuss how to move
forward. MTA had invested in the Reuters
news service which would now provide up
to date video and content for news and that
required someone to be present everyday to
write, edit scripts and check video content.
Huzoor graciously approved me as the first
female employee of MTA. I started my
full-time employment April 1st
, 2009 as
MTA News Producer, which I held until
May 2015.
Describe a day in the life working at
MTA
It is really varied depending on time of
year and really every day can be differ-
ent for me because I am managing a
team and also just carrying out the day
to day work.
In the past week, I have subtitled programs
in French and English, uploaded programs
to onDemand/YouTube, video edited and
dubbed a documentary for French stream,
had meetings with management regarding
upcoming projects, met with my own team
members to assign work for Jalsa, was
interviewed for a documentary to air at
‘REALLY EVERY DAY CAN BE
DIFFERENT FOR ME BECAUSE I
AM MANAGING A TEAM’

Jalsa, watched and critiqued documentaries
our team is making for MTA 3, liaised with
MTA Africa and MTA 3 for Jalsa projects,
managed the transcription and subtitling
of half the Qur’an for Ramadan tilawat
[recitation of the Holy Qur’an] broadcast
- and then lots of troubleshooting of
transmission issues, computer problems,
booking equipment with stores, liaising
with parents and children who will be
appearing in our Jalsa pieces, etc.
Could you talk a bit about how involved
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
is with MTA
and how his instructions shape program-
ming and how MTA moves forward?
Huzoor is absolutely involved in the day
to day running of MTA and everything
is done with Huzoor’s guidance and
instruction. For example, in the first week
of Ramadan, Huzoor instructed Munir
Odeh sahib that the tilawat airing everyday
in Ramadhan should be subtitled. Within
two to three days, the first subtitles aired
and have now been airing through the end
of Ramadan. So simple instructions like
that are very common and we get them
constantly.
Many documentaries and programs that
air are also seen by Huzoor before they air.
We made a series of children’s fillers for
Ramadhan that were taken to Huzoor and
approved for airing.
One thing that we are keenly aware of is
that Huzoor’s vision is light years ahead of
where we are now and ahead of anything
we can imagine. We may think that we are

doing something incredible - like subtitling
or something - but to Huzoor those are all
givens and actually his vision is far ahead
of what we are doing now. Everyone at
MTA has their own way of doings things
and personal preferences or wishes, but
the guiding hand of Khilafat keeps us all
moving in one direction - forward.
What kind of impact have you seen MTA
make in general? Can you give some
examples?
Working within MTA, we are constantly
inundated with messages and comments
from people about how important MTA
is in their lives. I get women on a weekly
basis asking me about what programs are
being made for women and children and
that their families still watch Real Talk
or that they saw something they really
liked or even something they didn’t like or
offering advice or comments about what
they would like to see. Real Talk Ladies
had a big impact because it was the first
of its kind program that aired regularly
featuring ladies so its still in people’s
minds. Parents would tell us that it was
nice for their daughters to see confident
women on MTA speaking their minds
while still practising Islamic values - we
still get regular comments about it.
Subtitling has had an amazing impact.
Many parents tell us that they sit their
children down to watch khutba [Friday
sermon delivered by the worldwide head
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]
when they know subtitles will be on or they
ask us when Waqfe Nau classes will air
because they know it has subtitles now and
their kids will be able to understand. Same
is true for converts or people with limited
Urdu skills who have told us - even in tears
- how much of an impact subtitles has had
because they can hear beloved Huzoor’s
voice for the first time in a sermon while
also understanding exactly what is being
said. Some people will also just contact us
directly and ask when a certain address or
program will be subtitled.
What else would you like people to know
about MTA and its work?
Every one of us that has the opportunity
to work or volunteer or contribute in any
manner is blessed beyond measure - we
know that we are here not because MTA
needs us, but because we need MTA. We
are all replaceable and there is nothing in
our own efforts that makes MTA what it is.
This opportunity is so precious for each one
of us and we are fully aware of that. Its the
Hand of Allah at work and the guidance of
Khilafat that makes MTA what it is.

MAHA DABBOUS
Director of MTA3 Al-Arabiyya
Maha Dabbous is Director of MTA Al-
Arabiyya. In this capacity, she manages all the
work of the all-Arabic channel that focuses on
programming for countries in the Arab world.
MTA.
I am originally from Egypt, and qualified
as a civil engineer from Cairo University. I
came to England after marriage in the year
1979, and have lived here since that time.
I worked in several places as a structural
engineer - designing bridges and other
types of buildings. I joined the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community in July 1989. Since
that time I stopped working as a structural
engineer and instead I have been serving
the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in different ways.
I am Director MTA3 Al-Arabiyya,
which is the Arabic channel of MTA
International. My job is to manage and
organise all the work of MTA3 Al-
Arabiyya, and liaise with other MTA
departments concerning any work related
to the Arabic channel.
I started to work for MTA from the very
beginning since the time of its launch.
I first worked as an English/Arabic
interpreter. I used to do the Arabic audio
translations of the English programmes
of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
[fourth
head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir
Ahmadrh
].

At that time I also had the honour of being
one of the participants in Liqaa Ma’al Arab
programmes [an early MTA programme
in Arabic] with Khalifatul Masih IVrh
from the very first session of this series. I
also participated in some other recorded
programmes for MTA – in English and
in Arabic. With the gradual progress of
MTA, more programmes were produced in
different languages. So my scope of work
expanded also to the translation of these
programmes - from English to Arabic and
from Arabic to English. I continued to
do this job for several years and towards
the end of that period I was appointed as
Head of MTA Translations Department.
I held this position for a few years and
during that time I also continued to do
translations as usual until the time when
MTA3 Al-Arabiyya was launched in 2007.
At that point I dedicated all my time for
the work of the Arabic channel and for this
reason I could not continue with the work
of translations.
In the beginning I was working on my own
for MTA3 Al-Arabiyya – with some little
help from others. At that time I used to do
all the work needed (entering programmes
in the Database, preparing lists of
programmes, doing the weekly schedules,
providing daily playlists and providing
missing media for transmission).
How has MTA changed over the years,
in terms of scope, resources, workplace
changes?
MTA started with very humble beginnings.
Nobody could ever imagine that in 25 years
MTA International will achieve what we
see today.
When I first worked for MTA as a
translator, I did not have any skills or
experience for doing this job.This was the
case for all those who volunteered to work
for MTA at that time. No one got even a
chance for training. We did all what we
‘IN THE BEGINNING I WAS
WORKING ON MY OWN FOR
MTA3 AL-ARABIYYA’

could do in the best possible way. And
with time and practice we improved. In the
beginning, MTA was reaching just a few
places in the world and was confined to
show just a limited number programmes
every day for a few hours. But with the
passage of time it spread to reach all
corners of the earth, broadcasting 24/7 and
showing a vast range of programmes in
many different languages. In the beginning
there were little resources and very small
and limited workplaces. But now by the
Grace of Allah MTA has developed and
grown so much that it has many studios
all around the world. Also there are vast
workplaces now available for MTA workers
to do their jobs efficiently wherever they
are. MTA has also benefited from the
progress of worldwide technology and has
made good use of the technical facilities
that have developed immensely since the
time of its launch.
Could you give a little background on the
history of MTA Al-Arabiyya?
MTA3 Al-Arabiyya, also started modestly
and then gradually grew and progressed.
Since the Jamaat established its Internet
website and the MTA satellite channel,
the message of the Promised Messiahas
has spread in all corners of the earth. But
the progress in the Arab world was not as
quick as it was in other countries of the
world.This was due to several factors, one
of which was the language barrier.
For this reason a daily Arabic service was
started on MTA.This was a one-hour
(sometimes two hours) daily broadcast on
MTA1.This continued for some time. But
then there was further need for more hours
of Arabic service on MTA, particularly
for answering the allegations broadcast by
other channels against Islam and its Holy
Prophetsa
.This requirement was of course
recognized by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
who graciously ordered the launch of a new
His Holiness joined a live programme of
‘Hiwar ul Mubasar’ on MTA 3 Al-Arabiyya
and gave a message to the Arab world.

MTA channel that would broadcast Arabic
programmes around the clock to serve the
viewers of MTA in the Middle East. Allah
by His Grace removed all obstacles and
brought about developments that fulfilled
the wishes of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
,
and on the 23rd
of March 2007, MTA3 Al-
Arabiyya was launched.
Shortly after its launch, some Arab
opponents of the Jamaat campaigned to
stop the channel from broadcasting its
programmes.They managed to stop the
broadcast of MTA3 Al-Arabiyya in the
Middle East for a short period of time
in January 2008.This was one of the big
challenges that MTA3 Al-Arabiyya had
to face. However, this did not last for long,
and quickly the issues were resolved and
very soon after that the transmission of
MTA3 Al-Arabiyya returned to broadcast
its programmes to the Arab countries
in the Middle East and beyond through
different satellites.
Since that time and through the last
ten years, the work for MTA3 Al-
Arabiyya continued to expand and more
programmes were produced. Live and
recorded programmes are shown on
MTA3 Al-Arabiyya. In addition to the
Khulafah programmes, the channel also
presents other programmes that address
current affairs as well as traditional and
controversial issues that are related to the
teachings of Islam. Some programmes
answer allegations and challenge those
who attack Islam and its Holy Prophetsa
.
Some other programmes raise questions
about controversial religious issues and
answer them according to the teachings
of Islam. Also there are some programmes
which counter the false religious beliefs
that are held by different religious groups.
The channel’s live interactive programmes
provide an amicable platform for religious
dialogue and exchange of ideas.
What has been the impact of MTA
Al-Arabiya in the Arab world – how
widely viewed is it, how well-known, and
could you give examples?
‘AS A RESULT
MANY ARABS
TOOK THE
BAI’AT AND
JOINED JAMAAT
AHMADIYYA.’

Since its launch in 2007, MTA3 Al-
Arabiyya has been presenting very
challenging programmes to those who held
false notions.The arguments presented on
MTA3 Al-Arabiyya exposed many of these
wrong beliefs and also refuted them, giving
the correct interpretations according to the
teachings of the Holy Qur’an.
A big number of Arab viewers – living
in the Middle East and beyond - were
attracted to watch the channel. As a result
many Arabs took the Bai’at [pledge to
join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]
and joined Jamaat Ahmadiyya.Through
the years, MTA3 Al-Arabiyya received
thousands of very encouraging comments
that confirmed that the content of the pro-
grammes of the channel was really chang-
ing the lives of some people. In this was a
proof of the success of MTA3 Al-Arabiyya
in achieving its purpose.
Could you talk a bit about how involved
is with MTA
and how his instructions shape program-
ming and how MTA moves forward?
is the life
and moving power that keeps MTA
developing and progressing. Any idea
concerning MTA must be first approved
by Huzoor before it is implemented.All
instructions and decisions regarding MTA
originate from Huzoor.The members of
the MTA Board of Directors meet Huzoor
regularly to seek his advice and guidance
concerning every matter that affects MTA
and its work.He gives instructions and
recommends changes and suggests ideas
that maintain the continuous progress and
advancement of MTA. Huzoor also checks

the MTA scheduled playlists on daily basis.
The lists that are scheduled on all MTA
channels are presented to his office every
day.
What is your favourite part of the job?
What is easiest?
My favourite part of the job is the feeling
that viewers are benefiting from the
programmes that are presented on MTA;
especially those programmes that introduce
the true teachings of Islam and the correct
understanding of the Qur’anic verses.The
easiest part of the job is when a day passes
without a need to make any changes to
the scheduled lists and with all electronic
media available and ready for broadcast.
What is the most difficult part of the job?
When I have to deal with programmes
for refuting allegations against Islam.
This is because it involves listening to
the opposing views to be able to prepare
answers and prove them false.This is
not a pleasant experience. It is extremely
difficult to have to watch the opponents’
programmes that attack Islam and talk
negatively against the Holy Prophetsa. My
heart is extremely disturbed and agitated
when I listen to such programmes. But
sometimes I have no choice, otherwise how
else can we refute these accusations?

DR. SARAH WASEEM
Volunteer, MTA Production
Dr. Sarah Waseem is one of the many
professionals who volunteers her spare
time to work producing programs for
MTA International. A practising clinical
psychologist, she works at a wide range
of tasks at MTA, including directing and
scriptwriting.
MTA
I was, and still am a Clinical Psychologist
working in the National Health Service
here in London.
I work in the MTA Productions team
headed by Munir Odeh sahib. My post
involves filming, editing, scripting and at
times, directing various programmes that
we produce here in MTA.
I was asked to join the MTA news team
around 1993 and then headed up a ladies’
news team for several years afterwards.The
role of the team was to put together news
stories. Over time the team expanded and
we were able to work as an international
news team, with writers in the US, Canada,
Azerbaijan, etc.
I was also a member of Huzoor’s
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
, fourth
worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya
‘WE STARTED OUT
LITERALLY KNOWING
NOTHING ABOUT
FILMING’

Muslim Community] children English
class team.This involved helping with
scripting, scenery, and training the children
to present in the classes. We would put
together weekly programmes which were
then presented by the children in front of
Huzoor
Around [the year] 2000, I was asked
to form a ladies production team. We
started out literally knowing nothing
about filming, editing or production and
essentially trained ourselves up. Our
team was quite small initially and was
independent of the other MTA teams
– we had our own budget, etc. Huzoor
(Khalifatul Masih Vaba
) then reorganised
MTA’s internal structure and the team
came under the Productions directorate.
At this point,Tehmeena Luqman, who
was employed as the first full-time female
staff member at MTA, became head of the
team.
Describe a day in the life working at MTA
I am a volunteer so work mainly at the
weekends.There is no ‘typical’ day because
what I do depends on what we are
currently working on. So it might be that I
am directing a film shoot or scripting. At
‘WOMEN ARE INVOLVED IN MOST OF
THE MTA DEPARTMENTS’

other times, we may be asked to do some
transcription work for translation purposes,
depending, again, on what needs to be
done .
Could you speak specifically about how
and to the extent which women are in-
volved in operations at MTA?
Women are involved in most of the MTA
departments – from the scheduling of
programmes to production, subtitling to
translations.They are involved in social
media which is a growing field. So too
is subtitling, which is now done in a
variety of languages.This will increase
as further languages are added; currently
most of the emphasis is on subtitling
Huzoor’s programmes, but this is going
to expand.To date subtitling has been in
English, Arabic, German, Urdu, Japanese
and French.There are now women’s
teams around the world – in Bangladesh,
Mauritius and Canada, with whom we
work.
What is your favourite part of the job?
What is easiest?
Working for MTA is my favourite part
of the job! I regard it a blessing to be able
to serve Khilafat and the jamaat. I guess,
overall, editing is my favourite task. It
requires vision, and creativity but is also
very challenging as we are constantly
learning and improving.
It is difficult to say what is the easiest. My
professional background means that I think
interviewing comes to me quite naturally
and I do enjoy meeting people and hearing
their stories.
What is the most difficult part of the job?
I honestly enjoy all aspects of work
at MTA. Given that media is not my
background, I find that I am constantly
learning. MTA is like ‘therapy’ for the ‘day
job’!
What advice do you have to give people
who might want to volunteer or work for
MTA?
Go for it! But remember that it requires
total dedication. [To paraphrase JFK],
‘MTA IS LIKE
THERAPY FOR
THE DAY JOB’

think ‘not what can I do for MTA but what can MTA do for me.’ I
have been so blessed to be a very small part of MTA and have learnt
so much that I would never have learnt had I not had this opportunity.
To serve in MTA directly under the auspices of Khalifat is a blessing.
It is very hard work as well, mentally and physically.Try carrying a
tripod and camera around Hadeeqatul Mahdi [large outdoor site for
the annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community] on a
hot day!
What is your favourite MTA program?
I like some of the documentaries produced. I like listening to Huzoor’s
classes now that they are subtitled. Listening to the Friday sermon as
Huzoor speaks Urdu and being able to understand it via subtitles is
truly wonderful. (I don’t speak Urdu well at all!) I don’t think Urdu
speakers can fully appreciate what it means to hear the voice of our
Khalifah and simultaneously read a translation in English. Pure bliss!
What kind of impact have you seen MTA make in general? Can you
give some examples?
I think the move to transmitting via digital media has been massive
– MTA on demand, on iPhone, tablet, etc. I know many people who
listen this way. It has really expanded the reach of the message of
Ahmadiyyat.
What else would you like people to know about MTA and its work?
Listen to MTA. Send in your comments – it all helps improves things.
And pray for us and of course Huzoor.

SYED AQEEL SHAHID
Director of Transmission
Once the programs are filmed and finished,
the work isn’t done – they still need to reach
you, the viewer. Syed Aqeel Shah ensures
that MTA’s polished programs reach their
destination by heading the transmission
department.
When did you join MTA?
Well before MTA started, in fact. I have
had the opportunity to be there from day
one. I was fortunate enough to be in the
meeting when Huzoor [Hazrat Khalifatul
Masih IVrh
, fourth head of the worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community] said
that he would like to present the Jamaat
[community] with a gift. We were all
puzzled as to what that could be.Then he
mentioned that he would like to start a
television channel, which may be difficult
in the beginning, but will prove to be
beneficial in the future
What was your role in the early days of
MTA?
I was actually appointed initially as head
of productions.The Jaswal brothers [early
volunteers with MTA International] were
appointed to deal with the transmission
side of things, whereas I was made head of
productions.That is how the production
department came into existence.
Could you explain in a few words what
transmission entails?
Transmission is a very technical
department but without going into any
technical aspects I will simply say that it
is the responsibility of the transmission
department to produce those services
whereby people can receive MTA through
satellite.
How has the MTA transmission depart-
ment evolved over the years?
‘MTA TRANSMITS TO
EVERY CONTINENT
IN THE WORLD’

MTA’s Masroor Teleport, Maryland, USA.
I have seen transmission evolve firsthand.
The fact of the matter is that technology
itself has advanced and evolved. Initially
we ran on analogue, which included heavy
machinery that took up a lot of space
and power.This therefore had a lot of
drawbacks. However, with digital things
have become a lot easier. Not just this, in
fact, with the advancement of technology,
things have become a lot more accessible as
well as becoming cheaper to acquire.
If I were to travel to any destination in
the world, would it be possible to receive
MTA?
Yes, by the Grace of Allah, MTA transmits
to every continent in the world and is a key
tool in in spreading the message of Islam
and Ahmadiyyat throughout the world.
‘INITIALLY WE RAN
ON ANALOGUE
WHICH
INCLUDED HEAVY
MACHINERY’

‘WHEN
WE SEE
HUZOOR AT
THE DOOR,
WE CANNOT
EXPRESS
OUR
FEELINGS’

RAQEEBA GULZAR
Senior Volunteer, Scheduling De-
partment
Raqeeba Gulzar is a long-time volunteer
with MTA, working on a task that is all but
hidden from viewers, but which is vital to the
functioning of MTA: scheduling.
Can you tell us of the background of the
MTA Scheduling department?
Alhamdolillah [all praise is due to Allah],
MTA International is celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year and I’m very pleased
that the ladies have been playing a very
important role in MTA since day one.
They had already converted part of
Mahmood Hall [a large room in the Fazl
Mosque] into small cubicles, and in each
cubicle there was one video player, one
video recorder and some blank tapes. In
those days, only a few ladies from our
jamaat [community] knew how to record
any events, or to edit from one tape onto
another. By the grace of Allah, I had a
bit of knowledge in this field, because my
husband, Mashood Ahmad Gulzar, was
part of the audio visual department of
UK [central branch of the administration
of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community],
and their work included recording Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih IV’srh
Friday sermon,
question-and-answer and Jalsa Salana
[annual convention of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim community] proceedings.These
programmes were recorded for archive
purposes, but now these programmes
are scheduled on a daily basis and are
broadcast all over the world through MTA
International. They explained to me how
to dub programmes from the original tape
onto a blank one, leaving a space of 1-2
minutes to be filled later on by inserting
the title of the programmes. I was told to
form a team of ladies and to train them as
there was only a few [pieces of] equipment
available, a duty rota should be made for a
smooth workflow.The ladies would have
the priority to work during the day time
and the young men would work during
the evenings.This arrangement was also
made in order to observe purdah [Islamic
separation of men and women].
Within a week a team had been formed –
our job was to prepare programmes for one
month at a time, consisting of 12 hours a
day. The only contents that were available
to us were Friday sermons, question-and-
answer sessions and Jalsa Salana speeches.
We had to work long hours starting from
6am – 6pm. We had to prepare 300 hours
of tapes of programs to be sent to Russia
to be broadcast from there. And when

the programs were ready, then we had to
prepare a schedule for it as well. In those
days we didn’t have a computer, we didn’t
have all these new instruments, so we had
to prepare it by hand. So we had a piece
of paper and would manually put all the
details on there.
In 1994 programmes were transmitted
directly from London to the rest of the
world and scheduling in its true essence
began in a small room above Mahmood
Hall in Fazl Mosque. For the first six
months just a handful of ladies voluntarily
gave 12-18 hours daily to meet the day-to-
day running of MTA International.
Explain the workings of the scheduling
department
MTA launched as a global 24-hour
channel on April 1st
1996 and since
then, the MTA scheduling department
has grown and developed to a new
revolutionised method of electronic
scheduling using a unique in-house system
created by the MTA male staff themselves.
Until recently, the scheduling department
has always been completely voluntary,
open 7 days a week as a functioning, lively
office that consists of voluntary workers
from young students to mothers and
mature members of the Jama’at. Due to the
ever growing demand of the scheduling
department, we now by the grace of
Allah have two women waqf-e-zindagi
[life devotees of the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community] working for us also.
The scheduling department is an integral
part of MTA International working behind
the scenes. Scheduling is primarily
involved in the preparation of programme
listings. Under the umbrella of scheduling,
many other tasks are carried out which
includes the Electronic Programme
Generator (EPG) which began in April
2001 when MTA moved onto SKY
Digital.This allows for programme listings
to be displayed on TV so viewers can select
programmes and view information about
them.
The scheduling department also deals with
tapes from all international MTA studios
from such a vast variety of countries
including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Australia,
Pakistan, Germany, Kababir (Israel) to
name but a few. In the beginning, we dealt
with about 15,000 tapes which are also
entered into an electronic library database
which includes all relevant information
about each programme on that media. A
daily metric was devised under the strict
guidance of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh

to create slots corresponding to each
countries’ peak viewing hours as MTA is an
international channel.
How many workers do you have now?
Alhamdollillah, MTA has grown from
one hour of transmission to 24 hrs, from
one channel to five channels growing. In
the beginning I used to work seven days
a week. [Now] we have 35-38 women
which include university students, young
mothers and older women who are all very
committed and dedicated to completing
the work. Currently I have a team of
three deputies, a team of schedulers and
assistants, database team and EPG team
all working closely together under the
direction of Zaheer Khan Sahib [Director
of Scheduling]. We are just like a large
family – an MTA family.
Can you tell us about the love for Khilafat
as well as Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV’srh
and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V’saba
keen
interest in your department?
There is the prophecy that ‘I shall cause thy
message to reach the corners of the Earth’.
MTA plays an important role in this by
contributing to tabligh [propagation and
preaching]. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaba
frequently graces us with His presence in
the office which shows his interest in our
work and his love for us. When we see our
beloved Huzoor (may Allah be his Helper)
standing at the door, we cannot express our
feelings; we are surely the privileged ones.
How has Khilafat guided you in terms of
improving the MTA Scheduling work?
At the very beginning, a plan was devised
to determine which programmes should
go on air which was under the strict
supervision of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih
IVrh
. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh
[fourth
head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community] said it was his pride to see
the girls working here. Even today we work
under the divine guidance of our beloved
Huzoor.The scheduling department
continues to function only with the
blessings of Khilafat and the prayers of the
Khulafah and Jama’at-e-Ahmadiyya across
the globe and Inshallah [God willing]
MTA will continue to progress beyond our
imagination.

ATAUL MUJEEB RASHID
Director of Translations
As a global news channel broadcasting in
many languages simultaneously, MTA
International requires a robust translation
department. Ataul Mujeeb Rashid manages
the dazzling array of languages and dialects,
ensuring as far as possible that the message of
Islam and Ahmadiyyat reaches every person in
their native language.
Tell us about the work of the translation
department
By the Grace of Allah the Almighty,
MTA International broadcast programs
in eighteen different languages, including
Urdu, English, Bengali, French, German,
Arabic,Turkish, Swahili, Indonesian,
Persian amongst others.

One of the main purposes of MTA is
to project the voice of the Caliph to all
parts of the world. A key programme in
the weekly schedule is the Friday sermon,
delivered by His Holiness, Hazrat
from the Baitul
Futuh Mosque, London, and is broadcast
in seven languages simultaneous to the live
Urdu. Ahmadis around the world await
eagerly to hear the voice of their leader
‘A KEY
PROGRAMME
IN THE WEEKLY
SCHEDULE
IS THE FRIDAY
SERMON’

and can choose from an array of languages
through the blessings of MTA.
Aside from the live Friday sermon of
, many
other highly informative, beneficial and
immensely faith-inspiring programs
are broadcast in various languages. For
example, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV’srh
question-and-answer sessions, Liqaa Maal
Arab programs, Qur’an classes, Rah-e-
Huda [an Urdu question-and-answer
program], Shotter Shondhane [a program
in the Bengali language], Al-Hiwarul
Mubashir [Arabic language program] and
many more.
All of these programs by the Grace and
Blessings of Allah the Almighty are
televised in Urdu, English, Bengali and
Arabic and are translated in a wide range
of languages as mentioned above so that
everyone around the globe can benefit from
these programs. So MTA is a channel that
does not only cater for a particular group
of people; rather, it equally caters for the
needs of everyone around the world.
‘IT EQUALLY CATERS
FOR THE NEEDS OF
EVERYONE AROUND THE
WORLD’

ASIF MAHMOOD BASIT
Director of Programming
Asif Basit is Director of Programming
at MTA International. In this position,
he commissions new programs from
countries around the world and assesses
the programming needs of a diverse global
audience so that MTA International can
continue to fulfil its mission.
MTA
My educational background is that I have
a masters degree in philosophy. Before
coming to the UK, I was a teacher of
English and Urdu language and literature.
I devoted my life for the services of the
community. Huzoor-e-Anwaraba
[Hazrat
Khalifatul Masih V, worldwide head of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]
graciously granted me this opportunity in
2004. Soon after I was appointed to MTA
International and have had the opportunity
to serve in various capacities.
Initially I began working in the MTA news
department and would read the news in the
Urdu language. After this I was appointed
as the supervisor of the news department.
In March 2013, MTA underwent some
internal administrative changes. As a result
of these changes I was appointed as the
Director of Programming in March [2013].
For the benefit of the readers, could you
briefly explain what programming depart-
ment entails?
The programming department is
a fairly new department and was
Rahe Huda is a
programme that tackles
Islam’s response to
contemporary issues, here
being broadcast live from
MTA’s Qadian studios.

The Review of Religions July 2017

The Review of Religions July 2017

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The Review of Religions July 2017