KUALA KANGSAR: Islamic Centre Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, Datuk Dr Afifi al-Akiti was proclaimed as a Perak state dignitary and bestowed the title of “Orang Kaya Kaya Imam Paduka Tuan (Orang Besar Delapan) Negeri Perak” by the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah today.
The proclamation took place at Istana Iskandariah, here, in conjunction with the Sultan’s 62nd birthday celebration.
Batu Gajah-born Dr Afifi, 42, made history for being the first Malay ever appointed as a lecturer at the prestigious university.
In 2009, along with Professor Muhammad Abdel Haleem, Dr Afifi was shortlisted for the Annual UK Muslim Awards, in one of its 15 coveted Awards for Excellence.
Last July, Dr Afifi was appointed as deputy chairman of the high-level panel on the federal institutions of Islam.
He is internationally acclaimed for his 2005 fatwa “Defending the transgressed by censuring the reckless against the killing of civilians”, written in response to July 7 London bombings, which was praised by scholars of Islam and gained a massive readership on the Internet. — BERNAMA