ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of foreign students left stranded at Islamabad’s International Islamic University, are receiving generous hospitality from the faculty members, mostly the Arab professors who have taken personal initiative to provide free Suhoor and Iftar meals at their hostels.
Foreign students at International Islamic University Islamabad gather for iftar with faculty members on May 19, 2020. (AN photo)
“We have more than 600 foreign students including 215 females in the university who are still staying at the hostels as they could not go back to their countries due to suspension of flights after lockdown,” adviser to the university president, Dr. Fazal Rabbi, who is spearheading the free meal project told Arab News.
Majority of these students are Arabs, Africans, Indonesians and Chinese, with many confronted with financial crunch, he continued.
“The professors of the university, mostly Arab nationals, have generously contributed and arranged funds on their own for free suhoor and iftar meals for these students,” Dr. Rabbi said.
The students shared their concern with their professors before Ramadan which prompted faculty members from Arab countries to take the initiative upon themselves, which was later joined by the rest of their peers.
Hundreds of foreign students at International Islamic University Islamabad have been unable to return to their homes for Eid amid coronavirus travel bans. (AN photo)
“We started providing food from the start of Ramadan and will continue to do so during the three days of Eid as well,” he said, adding that the Saudi center for Dawaa also supported the university in food project during the lockdown.
Dr. Muhammad Abrar Anver, the hostels provost, said the daily cooking was done in the university’s kitchens under hygienic conditions ensuring every care was taken for covid-19.
International Islamic University Islamabad professors serve iftar meals to their foreign students on May 19, 2020. (AN photo)
“The mechanism is very simple. We get the required funds from Dr. Rabbi and prepare meal for more than 700 people every day,” he told Arab News. “It is then given to students, security guards and those in charge of work in disposable parcels as a precaution due to coronavirus pandemic.”
“The program is not funded by any government or the university itself. It is the sole effort of the university professors and the president’s office in their personal capacity,” Dr. Anver said.
