In a world where Muslims are often presented as backward and failing to live up to the demands of the present age, the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) is a beacon of excellence, shining for the whole world to see. This week, as the people of Palestine suffer terrible brutality, the university has a lesson for us all. Set in a lush, green valley surrounded by limestone cliffs and tropical vegetation, the main campus of the University is still close enough to the centre of Kuala Lumpur for students to visit whenever they wish. IIUM provides on-campus accommodation for all its students, but they also have good transport links with the rest of the city, as well as having shops and many facilities right on their doorstep. IIUM was established in 1983 at the request of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It was the fulfillment of one of the major aspirations of the contemporary global Muslim community to regain the Ummah's leadership in the quest for knowledge. Its vision statement declares IIUM “to be an international centre of educational excellence which integrates Islamic revealed knowledge and values in all disciplines and which aspires to the restoration of the Ummah's leading role in all branches of knowledge". The university is sponsored by eight governments and maintains links with governments and institutions all over the world, such as the League of Islamic Universities, the International Association of Universities and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. It is also affiliated with several Malaysian-based businesses that provide opportunities for students to gain practical work experience. Since 1987, the International Islamic University of Malaysia has been producing about 3,000 graduates annually, and the Malaysian graduates have become their nation's finest leaders and professionals. Right from its inception, IIUM has made vigorous efforts to ensure that it provides the best tertiary education possible in all branches of knowledge, all within the context of an Islamic framework. It employs accomplished scholars for its academic departments and appoints committed professionals to run its administration. Its facilities are modern and up to date, befitting a University which strives to be a world class provider of knowledge. And its graduates are among the most sought-after by employers looking for knowledgeable and skilful professionals, who are also committed to Islamic moral and ethical values. For example, right at the heart of the most up-to-date laboratories and teaching areas is the University Mosque. It is truly at the University's heart. Throughout the campus, you will see posters reminding students of the Islamic dress code in operation at the University. Throughout the day, you see students making visits to the mosque or to the many small prayer rooms around the delightful campus. IIUM houses all the facilities that a modern community is worthy of. Currently, IIUM is home to 15,000 students and 3,000 teaching and administrative staff members. It considers every need of students in academic and non-academic terms, by providing facilities and amenities for their comfort and well-being. Every faculty is, therefore, well-equipped with the appropriate facilities to accommodate and assist students in the courses they undertake. There are language, computer, science and engineering laboratories, as well as a superbly stocked and spacious library. The University, for example, has sports complexes for both males and females, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There are banks, bookshops, a post office, a 24-hour medical clinic and food stalls and canteens. English is the medium of instruction, giving the students access to knowledge in many fields and making the University a very attractive option for students not only from traditionally Muslim countries but also from the New World and Europe. All of the students become fluent in English. Arabic is the second language, which not only equips students to understand texts written in Arabic but also enables them to communicate with other Arabic speakers throughout the Muslim world. So what is the lesson that Malaysia's Islamic University has to teach us today? Muslims read in the Holy Qur'an: “On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear......: (2:286) One of the ways in which that burden is made lighter is when we help one another to carry one another's burdens. In the rarefied atmosphere of a university, providing unrivalled facilities and learning opportunities second to none, the students at IIUM come from all over the Islamic world. Not too long ago, one of those students summed his experience at the university in words that remain very poignant this week. This student, from Palestine, summed up what the International Islamic University of Malaysia stands for. Asked why he chose to study in Kuala Lumpur, he said that, first of all, the medium of English was very attractive to him. Secondly, he said that the University's facilities and teaching standards were excellent. Third, he said, it was good to be in a truly international Islamic environment, meeting Muslims from 100 countries. And finally, Malaysia is probably the most advanced and developed of all the Muslim countries in the world and he hoped that one day his own country, Palestine, would reach such a standard. With bombs falling all around them this week, the contribution of the International Islamic University of Malaysia in advancing the standing of the Muslim Ummah in the world can help the people of Gaza. Through education, they will one day break free from the oppression and degradation that seems almost enough to crush their spirits. As Egypt and other Arab countries have begun to do, by holding out a brotherly hand towards them, we can all, inshallah, make their burden easier to carry. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, teaches at Al-Azhar University. The author of nine books about Islam, he divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com and join him on Facebook at Idris Tawfiq Page.
