Saudi Gazette AN eminent Indian Islamic scholar and educationist underscored the need for enhanced efforts to disseminate Islam's moderation and tolerance to foster peaceful coexistence of people of all faiths. Prof. Abdul Hakeem Faizy said that proper and deep understanding of the divine religion is essential to propagate its sublime values as well as to defend it from the onslaught of malicious campaign unleashed by the anti-Islamic forces. Faizy, who has an excellent track record of promoting Islam's moderation in India's pluralist society, has been chosen as ‘the Star of the Year in 2009' by Islamonline and ‘Muslim Star of the Year' in 2011 by OnIslam.net for his outstanding contributions in promoting education, culture and heritage in the Islamic world. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Faizy, who heads the Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC), an umbrella body of around 50 Islamic colleges in the southern Indian state of Kerala, underscored the need for a synthesis of Islamic and secular streams of education. "One of the biggest challenges facing institutions of higher Islamic learning throughout the world is in producing religious scholars equipped with both an in-depth knowledge in the varied sciences of Islam and also a sophisticated understanding of the modern material education, especially in the scientific, cultural, political, and intellectual realms. A solution to this problem lies in marrying classical Islamic education with modern sciences, and producing scholars who are fully aware of the specific needs of contemporary societies," he said, while noting that this is the focal point in mind while establishing a large number of institutions for providing both religious and material education to the younger generation. Faizy, who was in the Kingdom recently, said that Saudi Arabia's interfaith dialogue initiative is a remarkable step in spreading Islam's values of moderation and tolerance. "The initiative also gives more space and recognition for different schools of thought and sects on one hand and an infinite respect of humanity on the other hand," he said. Faizy was instrumental in organizing an international conference on "Multiculturalism and world peace" in Kerala last year. He noted that Saudi Arabia is a leading country with an outstanding track record in shouldering humanitarian missions and alleviating the suffering of the poor and victims of conflicts across the world. The Kingdoms is keen on implementing Islamic Shariah laws with a human face, and the essence of Islamic spirit is more evident in the Kingdom compared to many other Islamic countries in the region. Only Saudi Arabia can serve the Two Holy Mosques in such a dignified and the best manner. Even the very title of khadim or custodian shows the rulers' humility and dedication in serving Islam's two holiest sites, he said while referring to adoption of the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques by the King. Faizy has full conviction that the status of the Kingdom as the leading Islamic nation will be further elevated in all senses of the word with the implementation of Vision 2030. "No doubt, this dream project will be put into action successfully as any rulers who have an undying will power, modern outlook and broad vision can score stories of successes," he said while welcoming the proposed Green Card for expatriates. Faizy also lauded the freedom of expression, enjoyed by the Saudi media and its columnists. "I closely follow each and every development in the Kingdom through the Arabic newspapers published from the Kingdom. Okaz is my favorite Saudi daily and Khalaf Al-Harbi and Khaled Al-Suleiman are my favorite columnists. I have a passion to read their columns before going to bed every day," Faizy, who is a subscriber of Okaz newspaper, said. He noted that thousands of Indian expatriates living in the Kingdom and other Gulf States are among the supporters of CIC, headed by him. "There are a total of 4,000 students, including 500 girls, attending various courses in our colleges. There are about 500 students in our main campus at Markazu Tarbiyatil Islamiyah in Valanhery in the northern Kerala district of Malappuram where he took over as principal of the institution in 1993. Since then, the college has brought out a new generation of Islamic scholars who have obtained higher education certificate in Islamic studies plus a bachelor's degree in a secular discipline recognized by the Indian universities. Faizy said that admission tests for enrolment of the colleges are being conducted in India and across the six Gulf states. "Boys and girls who have passed secondary school final exam, are entitled to seek admission to the colleges for an 8-year preparatory, undergraduate and a Bachelor's degree course in a secular discipline, and then a two-year post-graduation Islamic course. Students can also complete a two-year functional Arabic course and one-year functional Urdu course run by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, under the government of India. The PG program consists of seven departments under three faculties namely Theology, Islamic Shariah and Language & Culture. This program has been tailored to mold a new and promising generation of scholars with an in-depth knowledge in Islamic studies and a cutting-edge understanding of the specific needs of the contemporary societies. Community living camps are conducted for PG students with an eye on getting them together and ensuring their growth on the targeted scales and standards of CIC. These camps have been really successful in bringing the students together and making them feel more united and work as a united team, Faizy pointed out. The titles conferred on the male and female graduates from CIC are Al-Wafy and Al-Wafiyya respectively, he said while pointing out that the CIC is an academic governing body functioning as a university. "We have a tie up with leading Muslim universities in India — such as Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Jamia Millia Islamia, which is a central university, and Hamdard University in Delhi — under which our students pursue post-graduation studies in theology and Arabic language and literature at these universities. CIC has obtained an equivalency certificate from AMU and Hamdard." "The CIC, which came into existence in 2000, has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the educational and cultural fields with Al-Azhar and Cairo University, as well as with the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALESCO), Academy of Arabic Language, Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, and the League of Islamic University League," he added.
