On Wednesday, September 7, the spiritual head of the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti shrine in Ajmer, Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, announced his desire to set up the Gharib Nawaz University so as to spread Sufi teachings. He said that this will be the first 'Sufi teaching' university in the world and also stated that he will be donating 200 acres of land for this purpose.
According to a TOI report, the university will be established under the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Education Trust and that Khan himself will donate the land and bear all the expenses.
What the university will teach?
This university will spread the true message of peace. It will counter the extremism. It will promote interfaith dialogue, thus restoring the ties with other faiths which had suffered since a section of Muslims has chosen 'extremist path'," said Khan, the dargah dewan.
He further added, "I would try to complete this mission in my lifetime but if it gets delayed, then I will make a will to one who succeeds me to complete the work of setting up this university."
Some time earlier, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had reportedly criticised the Modi government for remaining silent on the issue of Hindu fundamentalist forces who wanted to make India a Hindu country. Putting an end to the controversy over setting up a university in collaboration with Jamiyat, Khan clarified saying, "No such collaboration is taking place."