While the establishment of Malawian own Islamic university remains a pipe dream, a renowned world Islamic scholar Dr Bilal Philips has offered higher education hopes to those who have no opportunity of going to the universities when he offered his online university as a solution to education challenges facing youth in the country.
The remarks were made when he visited Malawi in Blantyre to promote Islamic Online University in the country, courtesy of the Islamic Information Bureau. Philips says that Islamic Online University will be an answer to those who fail to secure a place at the universities in Malawi.
“The presence of Islamic Online University offers the solution to the one of the critical problems the young people are facing for higher learning education. There is a great proportion of about 80 percent who do not find a chance to find a place at the university. Islamic Online University offers an opportunity for them to find education so that they become and be able to contribute positively to the development of the country,” said Philips.
The Canadian born Islamic scholar further says that the new facility will help Muslims in the country to participate in developmental activities.
“We should strive together and try to uplift the country to alleviate the problems that we are facing regardless of our religious or tribal background. Unity of the community is critical to the future of this country. Muslims in particular, we need to play a bigger role in the future of Malawi rather than being on the sidelines and not being active participants in the progress of the country,” he said.
One of the local organizing committee members Abdullah Kachala commended the coming of Dr Bilal Philips that it will bring a new dimension for the online facility in Malawi.
“The coming of Dr Bilal Philips will help people to look at Islamic Online University from a different perspective. He came to discuss with Malawi government for accreditation of the facility in Malawi,” said Kachala.
Islamic Online University was established in 2007. It offers certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Master Degree in Shariah, Islamic Banking and Finance, Psychology and Education. The university has more than two hundred thousand students’ world wide and 195,000 of them are learning for free.
Here in Malawi, Muslims and non Muslims are allowed to enroll. The university has offices in Blantyre at Agason building in Limbe, Lilongwe, Mangochi and Zomba.
