6th Annual Contemporary Lecture Series on Islam

 The Norwegian undergraduates with ISDEV Deputy, Dr Zakaria Bahari (front, third from left)
and Prof. Levi (front, third from right) with other ISDEV members

On 20 January 2014, 40 undergraduate students from Agder University and Bergen University College, Norway, were at USM to participate in the 6th Annual Lecture Series on Contemporary Islam in Malaysia organized by ISDEV. It was an annual occasion resulting from the signing of an MoU between ISDEV and these two universities from Norway sometime in 2007.

 Dr Zakaria Bahari, welcoming the students to USM in general and ISDEV in particular

The event was held at the School of Social Sciences Conference Room, C06, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang. The delegates were led by Professor Dr. Levi Geir Eidhamar of Adger University while ISDEV Deputy Director, Dr. Zakaria Bahari served as chairman of the programme. 

 Shereeza  presenting her lecture on Bumiputera in Malaysia

Taha ( second from right ) presenting his lecture on the 'Word of Allah SWT'

The lecture was divided into two sessions. The first session was a lecture by Shereeza binti Mohamed Saniff on the rights of the Bumiputera in Malaysia with the title “Protecting the Interests of the Sons of the Soil”. The second session saw Taha Omar spoke on contemporary issues pertaining to the kalimah of Allah SWT entitled “The Word of Allah SWT”. 

The Norwegian undergraduate students - attentive and serious throughout the lectures

 
A very lively and engaging questions and answers session took place throughout the two sessions. The information received by the Norwegian undergraduate students is hoped to help them in understanding the rights afforded to the Bumiputera of Malaysia as determined by the Federal Constitution of Malaysia as well as the current stand on the issue of the kalimah of Allah SWT. 

 The crew fron TV Al-Hijrah interviewing ISDEV Deputy Director, Dr Zakaria Bahari