PRESIDENT URGES SCHOLARS TO PORTRAY TRUE IMAGE OF ISLAM

5620 degrees conferred on male students, President awarded 81 PhD degrees & 115 gold medals to graduating students,

 President of Pakistan and Chancellor, International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI), Mamnoon Hussain has urged Muslim scholars and researchers to portray the true image of Islam before the world.

He was addressing the 10th convocation of International Islamic University in Islamabad on Saturday here at Jinnah Convention centre, which was organized for the male students of the university where 5620 graduating students including 484 overseas students were conferred degrees, while President of Pakistan also awarded 115 gold medals and 81PhD degrees to the male students in varsity’s mega event.

President Mamnoon said in his speech that Islam preaches the message of peace, harmony and brotherhood, but certain misguided and bigoted elements have tainted the very image of great religion with their flawed narratives. These elements are a scar on the face of humanity.

He said extremist tendencies and terrorism have inflicted huge sufferings and pain to the humanity and time has come to collectively foil their sordid designs.

He furthered that universities can pave the way for the country’s success if they have best teachers, well-designed curriculum and better facilities. While congratulating the students, the IIUI Chancellor said that country is proud of them and hoped that graduating students will contribute in the country’s progress in future with the positive deeds by applying teachings which were imbued in their mind by the varsity in the light of Islamic teachings.

President Mamnoon hailed IIUI for providing quality education students according to the contemporary needs while saying that university has been nurturing young minds with latest knowledge integrated with Islamic values.

Speaking in the ceremony, IIUI Rector, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said that IIUI, from its very inception, aimed at becoming a leading international centre of educational excellence and the university’s objective has been to integrate revealed and acquired knowledge and aspiring, to restore the leading role of Muslims in education and knowledge creation. He added that The Islamic character of the university integrating it with the modern day sciences and technology is its special feature. The IIUI Rector said that as an International Islamic University, IIUI’s approach is focused on moderation and harmony, adding that the mandate of this University, by no standards, either encourages terrorism or supports it by any means as the only message our community would like to extend is to foster international peace and tranquillity.

Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said that amid varsity’s rapid growth over the last one decade physical capacity has shortened, and its management is on consolidation mission as efforts are under way to have a very strong Waqf for IIUI. He further said that a Mega PC-1 for new academic blocks and laboratories is tabled and awaits the decision of the Planning Commission, while the university is also mobilizing its International Finance Committee for the establishment of a 10-Mega Watts Solar Power Plant on IIUI Campus.

Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh also spoke to the ceremony and said that university strives to build bridges between the traditional knowledge and the latest technologies, paying equal attention to the Islamic heritage and the engineering and technology which is need of the time as it helps avoiding the clash of civilizations through the rejection of extremism, prejudice and terrorism in the light of divine teachings.

 “After conferring degrees to the 11,644 students in 10^th mega event of varsity, a total number of graduated students in all convocations will reach to 38002” Dr. Al-Draiweesh furthered. He added that 5620 Male students and 6024 female students will get their degrees in the IIUI 10^th convocation.  He said that a total number of 110 PhDs will be conferred degrees in this event, while number of foreign graduated students at IIUI in the 10^th convocation will be 629. The IIUI President also said that there are 676 highly qualified, experienced and committed faculty members including 51 from brotherly Islamic countries.

The convocation was also attended by the university’s members of Board of Trustees, members BoG, Vice Presidents, Director General AF&P, Deans and Directors.