The US-based International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) has announced that in early June, it held a seminar and workshop for Cambodian Muslims in the capital Phnom Penh. According to the report:
June 23, 2015 The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) to East and South East Asia in association with Islamic Council for Development of Cambodia (ICDC) conducted a seminar and workshop for Cambodian Muslim on 05-06 June, 2015 in Phnom Penh.
The international seminar on Education and Economic Development under the theme “Building Muslim Community: Challenges and Strategies” was officiated by H.E Math Mara Secretary of State, Ministry of Rural Development, the highest representative of Minister, H.E Chea Sophara.
Mr. Mohamad Farid Hosen, Chairman of ICDC in his welcoming remarks stated that this seminar organized to discuss and expose the current challenges of Muslim Community, to strategize and to determine the strength and opportunity for sustainable and effective development of Muslim community and to develop network of institutions and leaders to collaborate and synergize resources to the optimum. 100 Muslim participants from various sectors such as NGO leaders and representatives, Government officers, Professionals and Students were invited to this seminar, he added.
Director and Representative of IIIT to East and South East Asia, Dato’ Wira Dr. Jamil Osman said during his speech of the opening ceremony that this is the second seminar organized by IIIT in Cambodia and he explained that this seminar is not to listen to the speakers but to sit down together to draft what are the future plan for development of Muslim community in Cambodia.
Read the rest here.
The GMBDW reported in April that IIIT had sponsored a three-day conference on Islamic Epistemology and curriculum development held in the African country of Zanzibar.
The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) describes itself as “a private, non-profit, academic, cultural and educational institution, concerned with general issues of Islamic thought and education” and using the slogan “Towards Islamization of Knowledge and Reform of Islamic Thought.” The concept for IIIT was developed at a meeting held in Lugano, Switzerland that was attended by many luminaries of the Global Muslim Brotherhood including Youssef Qaradawi. IIIIT was founded in the U.S. in 1980 by U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leaders including Iraqi-born Jamal Barzinji and Hisham Altalib who wished to promote the Islamization of Knowledge as conceived by Ismail Al-Faruqi and who were also early leaders of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). A 1991 internal document of the US Muslim Brotherhood, introduced as evidence in the holy Land Foundation trial, included IIIT in “a list of our organizations and organizations of our friends.”
For more on IIIT, go here.
In 2009, the Pew Research Center estimated that 1.6% of the population, or 236,000 people were Muslims. The Muslim World League is also known to be active in Cambodia.