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Muballigheen Training Programme Conference |
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Building on the successes of facilitated meetings and seminars, The World Federation brought together the key personnel involved in the MTP face to face for the first time from across the world. A total of 15 people attended the conference from Canada, USA, UK, Syria, Tanzania and Switzerland. The event was held on 26 and 27 August 2007.
The evening of the 26th started with a reflection from the Holy Quran by Sheikh Abbas Ismail on Allah's message on education and guidance. This was followed by three keynote speeches:
1. Al - Hajj Jaffer Dharamsi welcomed the participants and spoke about the importance of the project in shaping the guidance of the community over the next generations. He strongly emphasised the need to redress the negative western impression of the eastern hawza teachings and the need to portray true Islam.
2. Al - Hajj Dr Ahmed Hassam traced the start of the MTP to the Strategic Plan and the message of the community to the leadership at that time was that the guidance from our Muballigheen was not meeting community needs. Dr Hassam outlined how the MTP has been tailored to fit these needs and also emphasised the importance of unity and trust throughout the communtiy in the delivery of this project.
3. Professor Chris Turner, the Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) of Winchester University then gave an enlightening talk on the history of the University. The University enjoys its broad range of courses and working with other communities throughut the world. Professor Turner summarised the current trend of Western academia and provided thought provoking questions to the
participants on various educational approaches.
The attendees then spent the evening debating and networking well into the night.
The day of the 27th was very much different. Participants worked from 8.20am to 8.20pm. Each participant gave a short presentation on their roles and responsibilities. They also touched upon potential challenges they may face. These challenges were then debated in round - table discussions until a solution was established.
By the grace of Allah, many of the challenges were resolved and the participants walked away with a sense of clarity and a better understanding of the path ahead. A solidified team is emerging and the MTP is on track as envisaged.
Dr Ahmed Hassam commented, "From the output of the discussions it is clear that the team now has a much clearer direction of travel. Each role has been defined and pieced together. I am very pleased that the regions gave excellent attendance via the Vice Presidents and have agreed to firm commitments in both the short and long term. Thank you to all the attendees,
especially those from overseas. Well done to the team once again for organising such an important event."
The Muballigheen Training Coordinator, Jaffer bhai Dharamsi, stated, "This was a very fruitful meeting and I feel that we achieved a lot. I would like to thank all the participants for their time and efforts. However, this is by no means the last of such meetings - this is an ongoing process of achieving excellence and I am heartened that all parties have agreed to perform their unique roles with such enthusiasm and dedication."
Jaffer H Dharamsi
Muballigheen Training Coordinator
The World Federation of KSIMC |
