Qatar Foundation’s QIYADA conference brings together Muslim scholars, academics, journalists, and young people to discuss the challenges facing a new generation and explore how faith can inform their response to a rapidly changing world.
The second edition of the QIYADA (Qatar Islamic Youth Aspiration and Development Assembly), organised under the theme “Guided by Faith: Thriving in a Changing World”, will take place on 25 and 26 September.
The conference features prominent speakers from a range of backgrounds, including scholar and human rights activist Dr. Omar Suleiman; Dr. Hanan Ahmed Al-Qattan, Founder and Director of the Etizan Center for Psychological, Educational, and Sharia Consultation and Training; Amjad Al-Nour, a Sudanese filmmaker and journalist with Al Jazeera Media Network; and Fedaa Al-Deen Yahya, a Yemeni social media influencer and blogger.
Organisers say the conference provides young Muslims the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, connect with influential figures and innovators, and exchange knowledge.
Among those taking part is Abu Zaid Tunkara, a QIYADA ambassador and Arabic-language digital content creator and poet originally from The Gambia.
Tunkara said the conference seeks to help young people combine their cultural and religious heritage with contemporary skills, while encouraging them to turn their ideas into practical initiatives.
“Developing leaders goes beyond mere principles and flashy slogans,” he said. “It requires interactive workshops and experiences that foster critical thinking and train young people in decision-making and adapting to the changing times.”
He highlighted that QIYADA fosters initiative and social responsibility in young people, enabling them to shift from consumers of solutions to creators of them.
Faith, knowledge and resilience
Tunkara highlighted the role of religious education in helping young people navigate competing ideas and challenges to their beliefs.
“Today’s youth face a torrent of ideas fraught with doubts; their shield against this is knowledge grounded in both rational and scriptural evidence,” he explained.
“When a young person grasps the philosophy behind religious rulings and the beauty of Islamic legislation through the gateway of language and literature, they develop an intellectual and spiritual sense of pride. This empowers them to remain steadfast in the face of challenges, cherishing their faith and language without resorting to conflict or rash impulsiveness.”
For him, poetry is not about reciting words and rhymes; instead, it is “an educational and cultural medium capable of touching hearts and reaching the depths of the human spirit”.
“When this art form is presented to youth in a contemporary style that resonates with their fast-paced reality, it transforms into a captivating tool that reconnects them with their identity and reinforces their religious and cultural values,” he explained.
Tunkara’s own education has combined scientific studies with Islamic scholarship, Arabic language and literature. “This integration of modern sciences with linguistic and literary studies gave me a comprehensive and balanced perspective on reality,” he said. “While the material sciences foster logical thinking and precision, language, literature, and Islamic studies endow people with insight and human and spiritual depth.”
He explained that Qatar’s scientific and educational environment combines the authenticity of traditional Islamic scholarship with modern academic empowerment.
“Within this environment, I found an atmosphere conducive to research and in-depth study, alongside educational institutions and think tanks that blend the preservation of heritage with the use of modern tools,” he said.
“This combination is precisely what a passionate scholar needs to hone their skills and acquire a comprehensive perspective – one that enables them to engage meaningfully with their society and effectively serve its goals, and their own scholarly aspirations, with awareness.”
