Societies are getting more diverse, with social issues increasing, necessitating the need to intensify efforts to promote tolerance and respect for diversity. In this study, we report the approach employed to redesign and evaluate a general education course to enhance students’ knowledge of tolerance and respect for diversity, drawing on Islamic values in the United Arab Emirates. In collecting and analyzing data for the study, we adopted a qualitative approach to explore students’ nuanced and reflective understanding and application of the key concepts taught in the course. We retrieved and thematically analyzed 40 transcripts from sixty-nine students’ reflective assignments. Our results indicate that students see the education process based on Islamic principles as a socialization means for shaping human life, caring for others, demonstrating compassion, and sharing knowledge, as essential to fostering tolerance. Drawing on our findings, we recommend carefully redesigning courses to strengthen students’ knowledge of tolerance and respect for diversity using the authentic learning approach. This includes engaging them in activities to link class tasks to real-life contexts, providing them with safe learning spaces, and encouraging them to learn with peers from different backgrounds.

The plight of migrants and the need to foster their integration into diverse societies are of concern to global communities, governments, and charitable organizations. This study explored the roles of philanthropic organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in demonstrating solidarity towards migrants, exploring the multifaceted dimensions of compassion and support rooted in diverse religious principles. The study adopted a qualitative approach guided by the interpretivist paradigm when collecting and analyzing data. From its findings, the study highlights the integral role they play in addressing the complex needs of migrant communities. For instance, they provide food and financial support in clearing hospitals, tuition, and rent bills. In addition, the findings show that the organizations identify migrants in need through their open-door policy, encouraging those in need of support to contact them directly, with collaboration also being essential for the effectiveness of their services. By affirming the positive contributions of religious charities, this study underscores their role in promoting the well-being and social cohesion of migrants, ultimately exemplifying a shared commitment to humanitarian values and reinstating faith in the collective capacity for compassion and solidarity.

The discussions concerning the religion in Islam have a long history in Muslim intellectual tradition, particularly in the Arabic language. However, with the rise and development of Islamic oriental studies in the Western world in the last two centuries and particularly after the second half of the 20th century onwards, a “return” to semantic studies began re-emerging. Realizing the necessity, Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas began to focus and develop the definitions that had been altered, and clarified misunderstood and misleading concepts in relation to the religion of Islam in both the Muslim world and the West. Beginning from the 1970s, al-Attas began explicating his thoughts for the English speaking milieu (later in other languages). Al-Attas’s profound knowledge in various disciplines, traditions, cultures, and languages allowed him to begin to contribute scholarly input as he contributed his beliefs as well as ideas in the academic environment. In this article, al-Attas’s comprehensive understanding will be discussed briefly, but in some detail, including is own specific intellectual contributions.

This study examines the impact of smart tourism technologies on creating memorable experiences for tourists and increasing their intentions to revisit. Employing a quantitative approach, the research tested and validated an extended technology-to-performance chain model. A survey is conducted to collect responses from 272 tourists who recently visited the UAE and 254 tourists who recently visited Egypt. Structural equation modelling is utilised for data analysis. The findings indicate that technology-task fit significantly predicts tourists' use of smart technologies. Tourists leverage these smart technologies to cultivate memorable experiences, which, in turn, foster their intention to revisit. This study emphasizes the role of smart technology in forming tourists’ memorable experiences and their likelihood of revisiting. It provides valuable insights for destination marketers, planners, smart technology developers, and service providers to focus on the key factors that contribute to enhancing tourists' memorable experiences and their intent to revisit.

This article critically examines the Islamic Religious Community (IRC) in North Macedonia, focusing on its significant role in influencing religious practices, socio-political dynamics, and interfaith relations within the country. Since its inception following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the IRC has been central to redefining the public role of Islam, advocating for religious freedoms, and supporting the development of democratic values. Through a mixed-methods approach, this research traces the historical evolution of the IRC, analyzes its constitutional and legal framework, and assesses its impact on North Macedonia’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. While the IRC’s contributions to promoting interfaith understanding and national stability are highlighted, the study also critically engages with the institution’s shortcomings, particularly the controversies related to its leadership and the challenges posed by its political entanglements. These issues have, at times, compromised the IRC’s efforts in fostering social cohesion and interfaith harmony. The findings provide valuable insights into the complex role of religious institutions in enhancing social stability and democratic governance in diverse societies, positioning the IRC as a significant case study with implications for similar contexts globally.

We use a comparison of texts by several Arabic authors from the 8.-15. century inorder to explore the role of Milky Way in the early Islamic civilization until the 15thcentury. We refer to texts by Ibn al-Haytham, Ibn Rahiq, Ibn Majid, and al-Marzouqi.First we discuss the description of the Milky Way given by al-Marzouqi in the 21.chapter of his Kitab al-Azminah wa al-Amkinah. Al-Marzouqi also points out how theMilky Way can be used to determine the direction of prayer.Second we discuss Ibn al-Haytham's finding that in comparison with the Moon theMilky Way has no measurable parallax, must belong to the realm of the stars.We compare the situation at Ibn al-Haytham's time to that of the Great Debate in 1920. Milky Way: role in early Islamic civilization, astronomical description, Great Debate