Islamic scholar named US professor of the year Saturday 01 Saffar 1426
Islamic scholar Akbar Ahmed has been named US Professor of the year for 2004 by the US Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASe).
He is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK, and has advised Prince Charles and met with President George W. Bush on Islam. He is now Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of international relations at American University in Washington, DC. Dr. Ahmed is a distinguished anthropologist, writer, and filmmaker. He has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue and the study of global Islam and its impact on contemporary society for many years.
A special ceremony was held in his honour at Washington Cathedral. The ceremony started with the reading of a message from the Chief Rabbi of UK, while Bishop John Chane of the Cathedral in his remarks called the event unprecedented in church history, and arranged to promote harmony and understanding between different faiths. Senior Rabbi Bruce Lustig credited the Pakistani academic with emphasising the commonality between all Abrahamic religions.
Dr Ahmed started with a recitation of Sura Fateha and spoke about the difficult times the world was passing through.
In his speech, Dr Ahmed said 9/11 had created immense challenges and cultural rifts, but also an opportunity to reach out and build bridges. He had come to realise, he explained, how close the Judaic and Christian traditions were to Islam. The great Biblical figures are equally revered and loved in Islam, he said.
Ahmed teaches popular courses titled ‘The World of Islam’ and ‘Definitions of the Divine’ in the university.
Visitors to his classroom might include an imam from a local mosque, a bishop from the Church of England or a Jewish rabbi. He is active in the Abrahamic Roundtable, an interfaith group that stresses that Islam, Christianity and Judaism are religions with a common ancestor, Abraham.
If we are to redefine the world in which we live, we need a new and bold leadership rooted in this notion of faith and friendship. Islam at its finest is about compassion, tolerance and interfaith dialogue. The Quranic verse which tells us God has created humanity into different nations and tribes so that we may come to know each other and appreciate each other symbolises this joyous acceptance of each other – all of us – those within the Abrahamic or non-Abrahamic traditions, or indeed those who wish to understand the world outside these traditions, Dr Ahmed said.
Dr. Ahmed studied in England. He is the author of many books on contemporary Islam, including Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society, which was the basis of the BBC six-part TV series called Living Islam.
http://www.themuslimweekly.com/Newspaper/viewfullstory.aspx?NewsID=TW00002181
Alhamdu-lillah. It’s getting there… slowly but steadily and eventually Islam will prevail in all corners of the Globe.
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