"If you’re sending your child to school let it be one of liberation from ignorance and not an introduction to it," said Islam

Dina Rashed, IOL Chicago Correspondent

CHICAGO, September 2 (IslamOnline.net) - Yusuf Islam, formally rock star and internationally renowned singer Cat Stevens, called for supporting Islamic education especially in the West were Muslim children still need guidance and protection.

Islam, a role model to many in the Muslim world, was the keynote speaker at the annual fundraising event of Iqra' International Educational Foundation on Sunday, August 31.

"In the way of Allah what is better than to teach the way of Allah in education?" said Islam addressing almost 500 guests filling the Regency Ballroom of the McCormick Hyatt Hotel next to the McCormick Place Convention Center where the 40th annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is being held.

In a brisk and brief speech, Islam spoke of the need to further strengthen the Islamic education especially that the world is getting more materialistic every day, saying that even education today is becoming economically driven.

Drawing from his own personal experience, he said the news of his acceptance of Islam and the adoption of a different lifestyle was the most shocking at the time, because of the background he was coming from as a famous Rock singer.

But Islam abandoned this materialistic world because he believed he was heading in the wrong direction.

He added that teaching man-made theories is not hard, but educating the children with a sense of direction is the challenge.

"We must have an attitude, "If you’re sending your child to school let it be one of liberation from ignorance and not an introduction to it. We have to think about whether our schools are achieving this," he said.

Iqra' Foundation is celebrating 20 years of contribution to the Islamic education in North America, just as the Islamic school Islamya, which Islam founded in London, celebrates two decades of service.

"This work [Iqra'] has been an example in itself, an example of what was needed at a time when a few were desperately needed to be protected and to be developed," Islam added.

Iqra' was founded by Abidullah and Tasnima Ghazi, whose interest in developing curriculum and educational books to Muslim children in North America first picked up while they were both PhD students, and were involved in the Sunday schools of Harvard University during the 1960s.

But the Foundation was officially registered only in 1983 in Chicago Illinois, and ever since has been the major publisher of curriculum guides and educational material ranging from preschool to high school for both full-time and part-time Islamic schools in the U.S. and Canada.

Gradually their catalogue list increased to include many books about the life of the prophets, Islamic values and manners, children stories, history, and geography of the Muslim world, in addition to Prophet Muhammad’s Seerah and the Quran.

In the past few years, Iqra' has had an increasing interest in publishing more about Islam and Muslims to non-Muslims children.

"The only reason for doing anything is Allah, so keep remembering Allah in everything then you’ll find the pleasure of this life even with your money," said Islam, who became Muslim in 1977.

Following a 17-year hiatus from the music business, Islam returned in 1995 and has since released three albums of Islam related songs, The Life of the Last Prophet (1995), Prayers of the Last Prophet (1999) and a record for children, A Is for Allah (2000).