Dubai, 22 January 2020: The Department of Islamic Knowledge Programmes of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD) announced that there were 29,954 beneficiaries of Al-Mizhar and Umm Al-Sheif Islamic Cultural Centres in 2019 - an increase of 150% compared to 2018. As many as 1,763 students - in both centres - were females, according to the department’s statistics. 

 

Hamda Ahmed Al Muhairi, Director of the Department of Islamic Knowledge Programmes, applauded the lecturers, employees, and all those who collaborated with the centres. She also praised the students at Al-Mizhar and Umm Al-Sheif Islamic Cultural Centres. She noted that collaboration was the key to success over the past year and supported the centres' objectives to spread awareness about tolerant values of Islam. Al Muhairi also mentioned that the diversity of the activities resulted in an increase in beneficiaries in 2019.

 

Al Muhairi said: “Al-Mizhar and Umm Al-Sheif Centres work in cooperation with government, semi-government and private partners on educational, awareness, charitable, cultural and recreational programmes for families. We monitor the results of every activity we organise, and then provide recommendations for further improvement on the centres’ role in spreading awareness of Islamic culture and its humanitarian values.'

 

Initiatives undertaken by the Department of Islamic Knowledge Programmes target women and students, with the aim to enhance knowledge of Islamic culture, increase religious awareness and showcase the values of moderate Islam. 

 

Activities in 2019 included lectures and educational courses on contemporary topics such as restrictions on social media and ways to use it positively, as well as exhibitions for families - such as the ‘Icons’ exhibition - where products of female Emirati entrepreneurs were on display to support them.

 

Furthermore, the centres also organised several sporting, cultural, religious programmes along with recreational and educational trips. For instance, they organised the Women's Museum initiative to coincide with International Women’s Day, as well as several charitable initiatives, festive events on national and international occasions, as well as programmes targeting students during school holidays.

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