Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, director general of Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Rabat, has called upon Muslim youth in India and across the world to project the “true, humanitarian and inclusive image of Islam” to the world.

Altwaijri, who is also the secretary general of Federation of Universities of Islamic World (FUIW), made the appeal while delivering the convocation address at the 62nd annual convocation of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Thursday.

More than 4,000 university degrees were awarded and around 240 gold medals were given to the students on the occasion.

Altwaijri said the world is threatened by the divisive forces of “terrorism and violence”. It is the duty of Muslim youth to reaffirm the image of Islam as a “religion of peace and mercy”.

“Islam teaches us to be thoughtful, considerate and open minded to humanity. It is imperative that we now present the true face of Islam before the world instead of a distorted one”.

He pointed out that a feeling of false superiority and self righteousness would never allow any society to progress in today’s world.

Delivering the university’s annual report, AMU Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah (Retd.) said the bridge course offered by the university is a “unique initiative which will go a long way, making Madrasa students stakeholders in nation building”.

He said that the AMU was fully aware not only of its responsibility in raising academic standards but also in fulfilling its social responsibilities to the country as a whole.