MORE than 1.8 million Muslims live in Britain. The guidance of this huge population cannot be left to chance. We live in a multicultural society and it is essential that all cultures and faith communities, including the Muslims, live in harmony.

That is why I believe the Muslim community needs a new generation of religious scholars and imams who are born, raised and educated here. These individuals would be better qualified to understand and address the needs of the Muslim youth in the West.

They will promote Islam as it is, ie, a religion of rationality, tolerance and moderation, rather than the misguided, abhorrent version that is willing to inflict pain and suffering on innocent civilians in the name of religion as manifested in the tragedies of 9/11 and 7/7.

It is not possible to expect someone unfamiliar with the multi-ethnic nature of British society, and moreover lacking proficiency in English, to communicate with young Muslims of diverse backgrounds.

The spiritual guidance of the youth at this critical juncture is of utmost importance. A decade ago we realised such a need and established the Islamic College for Advanced Studies (ICAS) to offer a broad education to Muslim youth.

To this end, we have developed academic programmes, such as BA Islamic Studies and Hawza Ilmiyya, to educate religious scholars and to train imams who are not only well versed in Islamic literature but also familiar with British society and Western culture. Because of their broad education (which includes in-depth study of Western civilisation and secular philosophy as well as Islamic law and history) the scholars we train would be fully capable of engaging in dialogue with both Muslims and non-Muslims.

We are educating scholars who are not only aware of the serious problems that the Muslim community is facing today in Britain (eg, unemployment, deprivation, lack of skills), but are also capable of serving as interlocutors in the ongoing interfaith dialogue and of playing a significant role in the integration of the Muslim community into British society.

They would be able to engage with the youth to ensure that there is no sense of alienation. Upon graduation, our students can serve in a variety of positions. They can work as teachers, lecturers, community workers, chaplains, prayer leaders and religious counsellors. They can serve in almost any capacity where there is a pressing need — and frankly the pressing needs of the Muslim community in Britain are too many to enumerate here.

There are some who have questioned the necessity of such community-based institutions of higher learning. In response, I would like to state that necessary changes in the Muslim community would take place only if done by Muslims who are steeped in the Islamic tradition.

Imposition of solutions from outside the Muslim community, or from the inside by Muslims who have no grounding whatsoever in tradition, has proved to be a recipe for failure. It is absolutely essential that those who want to respond to the emerging needs and requirements of British Muslims do understand and appreciate the intricacies of Islamic jurisprudence.

As an academic institution ICAS has fostered the spirit of independent, critical and analytical thinking among students. The open environment that we have created here is conducive to the rise of independent thinkers who are also committed to the tradition.

We expect the support and encouragement of the discerning intellectual elite in Britain. We have, in fact, received such help from a variety of scholars, experts and academic organisations.

We have received such help from the College of North West London for our A-level programme and Middlesex University for our BA Islamic Studies programme.

Only through understanding and toleration can we work together to bring about harmony and friendship among all faith communities in this multicultural society.

Dr Mohammad J. Elmi is the Principal of the Islamic College for Advanced Studies, London.