[The Muslim News- UK] The monthly newspaper, The Muslim News,  launched its first awards ceremony in 2000, to mark the 10th anniversary of publication as Britain’s leading Muslim newspaper, when the guest of honour was International Development Secretary Clare Short. Following on, the Awards for Excellence has been attended by high profile guests including Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Nominations for awards were taken from 14 different categories of Muslim achievements, ranging from science and engineering to community development, young person and the arts.

This year, the renowned academic, critic, author and theorist, Professor Tariq Ramadan received the special Award for Excellence Iman wa Amal (Faith and Action) for his academic and intellectual contribution to Islamic thought in general and in particular in the field of constructing a Muslim and European identity.

Born in Switzerland, Professor Tariq Ramadan received one-on-one intensive training in classic Islamic scholarship from Al-Azhar University scholars. He is now based in London and teaches at Oxford (St Antony’s College). These last years he got some prestigious and acclaimed prizes : one of the 100 Innovators of the XXIst Century (Time Magazine, 2000); one of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year (Time Magazine, 2004); one the 100 most influential intellectuals in the world (Prospect Magazine, 2005), European of the Year (European Voice/The Economist, 2006).

He received the award on the 4^th of April during an official ceremony attended by more than 700 guests among whom were the main leaders of the Islamic organizations in the UK as well as numerous MPs and representatives of the British political parties.

Source :  The Mulims News