Qatar Indian Islahi Centre is a voluntary organization of Indian expatriates. QIIC has been working in the state of Qatar since 1981. It is a registered organization operating under the supervision of FANAR at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic affairs and NORKA, an organization working under the auspices of Government of India. Though QIIC plays an extended role in the wider Indian community, QIIC
is predominantly active amongst the Malayalam speaking community working in Qatar. The core areas of QIIC are Daw’a, Education, Social welfare and cultural activities. As the word Islah indicates, the major objective of this organization is the renaissance of virtues and purification of people from all kinds of evils which have corrupted their belief, morality and social life, according to the teachings of Al Quran and Al Sunnah of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). Fighting hard to emancipate the people from many superstitious beliefs, cultivate amity and harmony among believers of various faiths, offer a helping hand to human beings who are struggling with various kinds of problems are some of the priorities in its agenda. Qatar, like other Gulf countries, is home for many Keralites. The Kerala community in the Gulf represents a cross-section of the society of their home state in India, although comprising different groups with different religious faiths and ways of life, still shares a common “Malayali” identity. The founders of the Qatar Indian Islahi Centre (QIIC) extracted energy from the “Islahi Movement” in Kerala, the very term “Islah” means “renovation”, “restore the original” or “purification.” The Islahi Movement in Kerala had three primary duties to perform, correct misconceptions about religious practices among Muslims by teaching them monotheism (Tawheed), urge them to keep away from innovations in religion (Bid’as), and promote social and educational reforms and fight social evils. Fighting extremism in the society is a new challenge taken up by the movement at a later stage. The Qatar Indian Islahi Centre’s goals are not different from that of Islahi Movement in Kerala, but it has to cater to the needs of a different category of people, the Indian expatriate community in Qatar. To achieve its goals, Qatar Indian Islahi Centre works closely with the government departments of the State of Qatar, and with the Indian mission.
