LAHORE, Nov 4: The four-day international tableeghi congregation concluded at Raiwind, 30 kilometres from here, on Sunday.

About half a million people from all over the country and thousands of delegates from various other countries attended the moot.

Over 5,000 teams of the people who volunteered themselves for preaching Islam within the country and about 500 teams were formed for various countries of the world. The volunteers’ teams started leaving Raiwind to their respective destinations soon after offering dua.

Ulema from Pakistan and India spoke to about a dozen of sessions after prayers during four days of the moot. They called upon the Muslims to spread the message of Islam throughout the world and dispel the impression that Islam peaches violence and militancy.

They said that the preachers should explain to the people that Islam was a religion of peace, non violence, love and affection and does not believe in conversion by coercion and use of force which has been specifically enjoined upon the Muslims by God in Quran and practised by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

They said that unless the Muslims follow the principles and teachings of Islam in letter and spirit and mould their lives in accordance with the tenants of Islam, they would not receive God’s blessings and help and they would continue to be persecuted by the un-Islamic forces in one form or the other.

Although the ulema desisted from making any reference to he current situation in Afghanistan, bombing by America and Britain and Osama bin Laden in their speeches the people attending the moot were seen expressing their views in their private conversation.

They were found condemning the attack on Afghanistan and demanding immediate halt of bombing. Away from the venue of the congregation in commercial area large portraits of Osama and banners condemning the American attack on Afghanistan were seen hanging on stalls, shops and restaurants.

There was big traffic jam on Raiwind-Lahore road soon after the moot ended as thousands of vehicles, buses packed with the passengers, wagons and two-wheelers parked at various parking lots and open fields around the venue of the conference started moving.

The traffic police had made arrangements for smooth flow of the traffic by closing the entry of all kinds of vehicular traffic from Lahore to Raiwind soon after the moot concluded. —Reporter