iiScotland
Student Leadership Training
Islam Information Scotland (iiScotland) is Scotland’s only training and resource provider on Islam and Muslims. It was set up the Islamic Society of Britain’s Glasgow Branch in collaboration with other local organisations and a local mosque. iiScotland aims to promote a greater awareness of Islam as a way of life and create a better understanding of Muslims as a vibrant community at the heart of Scottish life.
Aimed squarely at university students, these events marked the first dedicated programme we have organised for students in over ten years. And they was eagerly received. The theme, ‘Your Country Needs You’, saw three weekend events that built on the need for maturing minds to consider, with a sense of seriousness and some urgency, the relevance of Quranic guidance and scholarly endeavours in how we can live to benefit the people of this country.
■■ It operates across Scotland and is run by volunteers. During the term, it continued to provide services including:
Part one took place in the autumn of 2011, followed by part two in the spring of 2012 and the final part three in the late summer of 2012. The weekends met with capacity crowds of 60 to 80, limited by the residential facilities on site. Students came together from across universities to a mix of workshops, talks, panel discussion and music. Young people got to see, debate and question the important role they play as citizens in every aspect of society. Discussion groups were vibrant as young people discussed issues and concerns in smaller groups that were not segregated by gender (unlike their experience of many university Islamic societies). A Facebook group generated further interest and conversation and the majority of attendees in the subsequent weekends were those who attended the first.
■■ Training courses designed specifically for those who come into contact with Muslims and seek to understand their culture and way of life. ■■ Exhibitions and poster sets that have been very effectively used by mosques, community groups and student’s societies. ■■ Schools presentations that provide materials for the teaching of religious education in schools and the delivery of school assemblies. ■■ Overseeing Scottish Islam Awareness Week across the country.
To aid the discussions further, a special booklet was produced with articles by some of the leading authorities in Islamic scholarship on the area of the social contract, citizenship, democracy and gender relations. Attendees received a copy at no extra cost. The weekends included ‘Apprentice’ style competitions where groups had to design a campaign; positive mental attitude training; discussions on the media’s relationship with faith; an analysis of misrepresented teachings on gender relations; and exploring theory and practice of the relationship between strong faith and social relations. Feedback from one participant summed up the feelings of many:
“Alhumdulillah one of the most inspiring events that I have EVER attended! Video clips of the events can be found on our YouTube channel. We now face the task of taking this training to the next step of organising manpower on campus. This is proving to be difficult, but we will persevere and try our best to make this work. 23
Islamic Society of Britain