Trust Seeks Support for Educational Activities

Author: 
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
Publication Date: 
Mon, 2004-11-08 03:00

JEDDAH, 8 November 2004 — The Calicut Charitable Trust has called upon philanthropists in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to support its educational and cultural activities. The trust intends to establish a new mosque and an Islamic center in the heart of Calicut, the capital of Kerala’s Malabar region.

“We have already established a mosque in Calicut while two others are under construction,” Dr. P.C. Anwar, president of the Juma Masjid Committee, told Arab News. Muslims in Calicut, one of the most populated business cities in southern India, are in need of more mosques, he pointed out.

Registered in 1988, the trust’s important objectives are the establishment of educational institutions including colleges, schools, industrial training centers, cultural centers, mosques and libraries, he said. It currently runs the Lulu Mosque as well as Al-Haramain English School.

The school needs funds to establish a permanent building facility. “Building work is still in the early stage and we hope to shift the institution to the new building within a year,” he said.

Calicut is a historic city with close ties to Arabs and for centuries it has been a bustling trade center in Kerala. “There are many educational institutions and mosques in this area but with the present concentration of Muslims here existing facilities are inadequate,” he said.

Established in 1995, Al-Haramain offers both Islamic and modern education. Its academic objectives include the teaching of the holy Qur’an, traditions of the Prophet and Arabic language. “Our aim is to provide quality education without compromising on moral integrity,” he said. The school, which has 750 students, provides special coaching in communicative English and personality development, he added.

“When private institutions are charging capitation fees on admission and making financial demands for appointment of teachers, our school runs on fees affordable to the common people,” Anwar said. The school has allocated 10 percent of its seats for outstanding poor students who receive free education.

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