“We Want To Leave Some Good Memories Behind”

“We study in ukrainian Universities for about 4-5 years, and Ukraine is hospitable towards us, provides us with safety and the best tutors so that we can become qualified professionals, and with possibility to practice our religion freely during this whole period. We want to do something good for the ukrainian society, to leave some good memories behind!”

This is how female student of Arabic origin explained their desire to participate in a seminar that would show them some opportunities of being involved in different volunteering projects. This desire made them approach Odessa Islamic Cultural Centre, that invited lecturers who had their own successful volunteering experience (sometimes quite a huge one): Ms.Suzanna Islyamova, Head of the Women’s Social Organisation “Maryam”, Mr.Bilal Hamze, Head of Social Organisation “Al-Masar”, Mr.Ismail Qady, Deputy Head of AUASO “Alraid”, and Ms.Hamidah Taher who was a hafeezah and a volunteer from Kharkiv, who, after attending a seminar of Sheikh Haydar Al-Hajj from kyiv, was so inspired by his method that sle launched two groups for women where she teaches everyone willing to read and memorize the Holy Book.,

The audience of 24 students from different Ukrainian cities came to listen to them: most of young ladies were from Odessa, but there were also guests from Vinnytsya. Kharkiv and Kyiv.

As any Muslim woman is not only a representative of her national culture to other people, but represents her religion first of all, so all the participants were asked to note the necessity to learn the local language well (either Ukrainian or Russian) and also, when explaining some religious matters, use the authorized interpretations of the Holy Qur’an and hadith.

Besides, the lecturers reminded of the necessity of constantly maintaining spiritual links with God in order to maintain serenity of one’s intentions; and the importance of teamwork.