by Ethan Gudge, BBC
The King has said the commitment of a major centre for Islamic study to “international co-operation” is more “imperative than ever in today’s world”.
His Majesty officially opened the King Charles III Wing at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, of which he is a patron, during a ceremony at the institution on Thursday.
The centre’s current home was first opened by the then Prince of Wales in the early 1990s, and was granted a Royal Charter by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
During a short speech, the King said he had seen the centre “grow from a modest hut” into an “internationally renowned institution”.
He said the centre, which was founded in 1985 and is celebrating its 40th year, had become a “beacon of Islamic scholarship”.
“The centre’s ongoing commitment to objective scholarship and international cooperation, underpinned by principles of dialogue, deep understanding and mutual respect, is more imperative than ever in today’s world.”
“I need hardly say I am extremely heartened that the centre continues to play such a significant role in that globally critical endeavour,” he said.