|
Ummah must unite to offset propaganda against Islam
Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Awad Al-Asseri, has emphasised the need for unity among the Muslim Ummah to effectively respond to the propaganda against Islam and the Muslims.Addressing the opening ceremony of the 19th International Muslim Cultural Exhibition at the International Islamic University (IIU) here on Wednesday, Al-Asseri said the 9/11 terror attacks in the US had badly damaged the image of Muslims as a peaceful community. Those with vested interests started dubbing Islam as a faith promoting religious intolerance and extremism after the 9/11 attacks, thus forcing many hardships on Muslims the world over, he added. He said it was the combined responsibility of Muslims to represent Islam as a religion that promotes peace and tolerance and denounces destruction and bloodshed. He appreciated the IIU for organising the cultural exhibition as it showed the world that Muslims were not opposed to the promotion of cultures, adding that the exhibition would help IIU students understand the cultures of various Islamic countries. Speaking on the occasion, IIU President Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui said the universitys Islamic character would be maintained and that Arabic would continue to be taught as a compulsory language at the institution. He said the establishment of a medical faculty and a hospital at the university were in the pipeline, and that a new mosque was being constructed at the universitys men campus and had been named the Shah Abdullah Mosque in homage to the Saudi king for his valuable services to the Ummah. Dr Siddiqui said that 10,000 students were currently enrolled at the university and that the number would swell to around 30,000 in the next 10 years. IIU Vice President Dr Hassan Khalifa, Dr Hussain Piracha and Dr Nasim Shah Shirazi also spoke to the audience, which included ambassadors and diplomats, university teachers and numerous students. University students from 27 Islamic countries had setup stalls to present various aspects of their cultures and traditions. Jordan, Somalia, Nigeria, Nepal, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan were some of the countries represented on the stalls. On the second day of the exhibition, a cultural night will be held where students will perform dramas and other art forms. A prize distribution ceremony will also be held on the same day. Posted by: Fred 2007-04-12 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=185599 |