Pic UUM Islamic Centre
SINTOK: A delegation of Japanese students recently visited the UUM Islamic Centre, and an information session delivered during their visit provided them with a new perspective on the beauty of Islam.
The study tour comprised 38 students and four volunteers from Kyoto Sangyo University (KSU) accompanied by Assoc. Prof. Dr Herman Shah Anuar as part of the UUM-KSU Summer Programme organised by the UUM School of Technology Management and Logistics (STML).
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr Herman Shah, the purpose of this trip is to provide students from Japan with new experiences and exposures in the culture and customs of the people of Malaysia, who come from a diverse range of racial, cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds.
During a trip to the Islamic Centre, a student named Mr. Ken Matsuzawa posed a question as to why so many people are interested in embracing Islam. Ustaz Muhammad Syazwan Menon responded to the question by providing further clarifications.
It was even more satisfying to see that many of the students who participated in the tour were enthusiastic about the genuine teachings of Islam, which helped dispel their negative perceptions of Muslims.
“A visit like this revealed to us that Islam is a religion that brings peace,” said Hyuma Kaneshiro.
In addition to that, the staff at the Islamic Centre demonstrated to the female students on how to properly wear the hijab. On the whole, they exude joy and excitement at the prospect of donning a hijab for the very first time.
At the end of the visit, these students were taken to the Sultan Badlishah Mosque so that they could witness for themselves Muslims performing the Zohor prayer in congregation there.
These students from KSU will be spending three weeks at UUM, where they will take English classes and explore the diversity of Malaysia from the 12 February until 5 March.
In addition to visiting the UUM Islamic Centre, they also visited the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (SAHA) in Kepala Batas, Alor Setar. There, they were instructed by the Manager of LTSAH, Mr. Lokhman Ahmad, on the operational management of the airport system. – Mahaliza Mahadhir
