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President
to open Indian Islamic Centre building in UAE
Thursday November 18, 2010 07:09:07 PM,
IANS
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Abu Dhabi:
A new building of the Islamic Centre in Abu Dhabi, which has been
serving the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
since 1971, will be inaugurated by Indian President Pratibha Patil
Nov 23.
Though established in 1971, the Indian Islamic Centre (IIC) does
not own an office building. The foundation stone of the
newly-built structure was laid by then Indian prime minister
Indira Gandhi in 1981 during an official visit to the UAE.
Though the Abu Dhabi authorities allotted land for the centre in
1979, construction did not begin until 2008 due to a lack of
funds, daily Gulf News reported.
The IIC, which functions from a temporary office, conducts
cultural, religious and educational activities for its members as
well as for the public.
"Although the centre has a religious name and members are
predominantly Muslims, we are strictly functioning on the basis of
India's strong secular values," an official of the centre said.
Built at a cost of 12 million dirhams ($3 million), the new
building is a milestone for the centre, which will celebrate its
40th anniversary in 2011, said IIC president P. Bava Haji.
The centre works for communal harmony by involving all Indian
religious communities in its activities.
"We celebrate all important occasions of India and the UAE with
the participation of all Indian communities and UAE nationals as
part of promoting Indo-Arab relations and communal harmony," he
said.
The centre also runs a school that takes minimum fees from pupils
from middle income families from the community, said V. Mayan
Kutty, secretary of the centre.
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