JEDDAH, 15 January — In today’s world, goodwill ambassadors are few but Mohammed Stefan Leca and his wife, Noor Anamariah, are of a different breed. Proactive and optimistic, the Romanian couple is on a mission and the main objective of their mission is spreading the word that “Islam is Peace.”
What makes their mission even more interesting is the fact that Mohammed and Noor will drive around the world visiting 37 countries in 80 days, all for promoting a better understanding of Islam.
Mohammed is no stranger to traveling the world. In 1992 after the liberation of Kuwait, he completed a three-year walk across 45 countries to promote peace.
During that time, Mohammed appeared in 200 newspaper articles, 200 TV spots and 400 radio programs. When asked why he did this, Mohammed is both philosophical and spiritual.
“In the times we live in, we have become almost like robots; our main purpose in life has become to make money and attain power. We neglect our family and friends just to accumulate material possessions, and I find that both sad and boring.”
The couple started their journey from their native Romania, where they were given a hero’s send-off. “In our country, the people were very excited that two people would travel the world representing Romania. Citizens from all walks of life and from different religions were very supportive and kind.”
Traveling in an Aro24 180hp truck equipped with a kitchen and bed, one has to ask, “How do you pass the time?”
He answered, “This trip in many ways is like going to school, when you go somewhere for the very first time. The excitement is enough to keep you going. We are also writing a book and filming a documentary, which will chronicle our trip, so that keeps us up 27 hours a day.”
Mohammed and Noor are also very excited about getting their message across to diverse cultures outside the Middle East, especially after the events of Sept. 11. “We are not on a mission to convert people, but we hope to plant the seed of knowledge from which could grow the tree of wisdom. And with that a better understanding of our wonderful faith. That is our main goal. When people find out that we are from a non-Muslim country and that we chose to be Muslims, that is usually enough to spark interest in our cause.” Mohammed and Noor’s next stop will be Africa, and from there off to South America, North America and then finally back to Europe.
“We hope to reach as many people as we can on this trip; God willing, nothing is going to stop us.”
For any who would like to contribute to this worthwhile cause, contact [email protected]
