-classes for certificate in Islamic education started

THE Guyana branch of the Markaz Al Ihsaan of Trinidad and Tobago opened its doors for the first time last Saturday morning at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC), West Coast Demerara.Inaugural classes for the certificate in Islamic education course began Saturday morning at the Markaz Al Ihsaan – a theological institute to provide quality higher Islamic education from the fundamentals of Islam to the tertiary level.
At a Mawlid programme held last month at the ACIC, Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall stated, “I hope that the branch of the Islamic school soon to be opened at ACIC will serve this country well.”
The school offers three levels of courses – the certificate course, a one-year course designed to make the participants aware of all that is required to be an enlightened, practising Muslim; the diploma course, a one-year course open to students who have successfully completed the certificate course; and the Aalim course, a three-year course which enables the participants to become qualified in Islamic theology, (Aalim).
In the areas of specialised subjects on contemporary issues, Markaz al Ihsaan also offers special subjects to each student, such as comparative religion, public speaking, Islamic sociology, Qur’anic psychology, Qur’anic philosophy, leadership courses and religious sects in Islam.
Prospective students must meet the admission age and other requirements, as a limited number of persons will be trained at one time. All course material, including books and the like, will be provided free of charge by the Markaz.
On a recent visit to Guyana last month, world renowned Muslim scholar, Maulana Dr. Hisham Kabbani, officially unveiled a plaque to establish the Guyana branch of the prestigious institution.
Markaz al Ihsaan was originally established in 2000 and offers courses in some of the specialised areas of Islamic knowledge. Registration forms are available at the ACIC and all courses are open to both males and females.
Dedicated to training Muslim leaders, Imams and scholars for the Guyanese Muslim community, the Markaz al Ihsaan Guyana branch will offer free accommodation at ACIC for male students who live out of town. For more information contact ACIC on 276-0029, 276-0232, 269-0210, 693-6540 or 628-4179.