Al Azhar Programme
The Azhar-Cambridge Programme
1 March – 20 May 2010, Al-Azhar University, Cairo
7 – 25 June 2010, University of Cambridge
The Cambridge Component of Study
1. Academic component
– Muslims in the European context
– Human Rights
– Gender and family roles
2. Practical component
– Pastoral skills
– Inter-faith awareness
– Community leadership
3. Individual project
The Azhar Component of Study
1. Introduction to Islamic thought
2. Dealing with difference
3. Ethics and law
4. The middle path
5. Ijtihad and maqasid al-Shariah
6. State and citizenship
7. Inter-religious relations
8. Intolerance and takfir
9. Jihad and its misconceptions
Azhar-Cambridge Programme Graduation, 9 October 2010
This intensive training programme is a joint initiative by the University of Cambridge and Al-Azhar University in Cairo. It is designed for young British Muslims studying in Darul Ulooms – the Islamic equivalent of seminaries. It aims to build on the knowledge students receive at these institutions with a challenging programme of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and personal study assignments, designed to further broaden the participants’ appreciation of Islam in a modern context. Alongside other topics, the course covers issues such as multiculturalism, gender equality, human rights and Muslim-British identity. It also involves visits to Muslim organisations, a Christian postgraduate theological training centre and a Jewish Rabbinical College.
