Doha: The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) has honored an elite group of teachers at the Islamic Science University, operating under the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA), to mark the conclusion of the second Arabic language course and deepen knowledge in Islamic sciences. Organized by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre (SABZAMC), the month-long course drew the participation of 15 teachers.
According to Qatar News Agency, the honoring was staged in an official ceremony attended by HE Undersecretary of Awqaf Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed bin Ghanem Al-Thani and HE Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the State of Qatar Ghulam Hussain Ismail, alongside a variety of officials and guests. At the closing ceremony, Sheikh Dr. Khalid underscored that Awqaf is committed to supporting professional scientific and educational programs that contribute to spreading the Arabic language and promoting it among non-native speakers, as well as deepening knowledge in Islamic sciences to embody the message of Islam, which is grounded in moderation, openness, and dialogue, thereby strengthening values of civilizational understanding and people-to-people connections.
The Ministry highly prioritizes its scientific and Dawah role on the global stage, through staging professional courses and attracting scientific delegations from various countries of the world, something that helps communicate the bright image of Arab and Islamic culture, Sheikh Dr. Khalid underlined. Assistant Director of SABZAMC, Sultan Saad Al Badr, clarified that the course was part of the center's constant efforts to teach the Arabic language to non-native speakers and boost its stature as a pioneering institution in this domain.
Since its inception, the center has been organizing scientific courses, receiving both scientific and cultural delegates, as well as forging effective partnerships with scientific institutions worldwide, Al Badr highlighted. Al Badr further indicated that the scientific program included 130-hour extensive training in educating non-native speakers in Arabic language through the "Road to Arabic" curriculum series, invoking an approved scientific approach, in addition to professional lessons and lectures in Sharia sciences overseen by a contingent of teachers and scholars.
He noted that these lessons had contributed to upgrading the linguistic and knowledge aptitude of participants, along with their pedagogical tools. The course was not confined to academic aspects but went beyond to include cultural programs, panel discussions, and activities to familiarize non-native speakers with Arab and Qatari culture, coupled with field visits to cultural and heritage landmarks, which ultimately helped enhance civilizational communication for participants and consolidate values of understanding and openness, leaving a positive impression about the efforts of both the Ministry and the Center, Al Badr added.
For his part, Mufti Yusuf Bhamjee, representative of the University of Islamic Sciences of South Africa's Darul Ifta, asserted that he was profoundly grateful to Awqaf and SABZAMC for the incredible care and attention the course had received, emphasizing that the program constituted a bountiful scientific and educational experience that helped advance the participants' linguistic and educational skills. He noted that the program further enhanced their capabilities of teaching the Arabic language, disseminating it among South African communities, and imparting the knowledge and expertise they had internalized to their students and educational institutions.
The organization of this course underlines the leading role the State of Qatar undertakes, represented by Awqaf, to serve the Arabic language and spread it globally, in addition to fostering its civilizational message and consolidating its presence in non-native speakers' communities. This initiative further underscores the nation's commitment to supporting education and building cultural and scientific communications with wide-ranging countries around the world.