Al Maktoum College of Higher Education organized on Thursday the 26th of Dhu al-Qi`dah for the year 2023 AD, corresponding to the 15th From June 2023 AD, a dialogue session on Islamic studies in the higher education system in Britain at the college‘s headquarters in Dundee, Scotland.

The session began with a focused scientific intervention presented by Professor Martin Percy, a senior theologian and British academics, former Principal of Ripon College, Oxford, and former Dean of Christ‘s College, Oxford University, where he spoke in his speech on the importance of education and its role in combating extremist ideology, as stated in a lecture by Prof. Sano in morning period, and explained that there is a scientific and methodological need to introduce people to the values ​​of love, mercy, and kindness, respect and justice that are included in the teachings of Islam, and these are the values ​​that Prof. Sano emphasized in his lecture, referring to that the world is facing a great challenge from the negative extremist secular thought that rejects any talk about religions, thus we need to benefit from the values ​​advocated by religions. Moreover the need to teach Religions doesn‘t aim at converting people to religious conviction, but to understanding the values ​​and purposes of religions.

Then H.E. Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano spoke about his point of view on the topic of the dialogue session, praising the importance of it bringing up this topic for dialogue and discussion, due to its role in raising awareness and defining the importance of this field of knowledge, called Islamic Studies, and praising the valuable intervention of Professor Martin, especially with regard to the reality of Islamic studies in institutions of higher education in the West in general, and explained in the meantime that today the need for introducing to the young people in the universities the major contemporary religions in order to enable them to deal well with the followers of religions, and to correct many stereotypes around the religions, whose source is due to ignorance of the reality of religions, their values ​​and purposes. In the meantime, he noted that teaching religions in higher education institutions in the West can contribute effectively in combating extremism and hatred of religions, especially Islamophobia, which is ignorance of the Islamic religion and its human values. Spotless is one of the most important reasons, because contempt for Islamic and non-Islamic religious symbols is considered an expression and reflection of the ignorance of those involved. In those actions, the facts of religions in general and the truth of the Islamic religion in particular. Then His Excellency pointed out that teaching Islamic studies in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom is one of the way to combat all forms of attacks against the religions. Therefore, teaching religions would help policy makers to make right decisions in their dealings with the Muslim world, and it would also do justice on the phenomenon of Islamophobia, it would even strengthen relations of cooperation, partnership and communication between East and West. His Excellency concluded his speech by inviting higher education institutions to adopt courses entitled “Religions for Diplomacy; Religions for Strategic Partnership; Religions for Global Peace and Security etc.. and more titles that define the purpose of teaching religions from the outset, and His Excellency called on Al Maktoum College to take the lead by initiating the implementation of this proposal after a serious study of all related substantive and methodological issues and issues practical.

The dialogue session was moderated by Dr. Murat Seifoglu, Associate Professor of Middle East History at the College of Education Al Maktoum, and attended by academics and students, as well as Dr. Al-Hajj Manta Drammeh, Head of international cooperation and external relations at the Academy.