Many Western countries have taken steps to counter terrorism, be it so-called Islamic or right-wing fascist terror. The British government has taken serious measures to ensure that right-wing groups are held accountable for their racist acts, while at the same time making encouraging efforts to work with the Muslim community. The aim for these efforts is to create a more harmonious society. The Muslim community in the U.K. has done more than its share to meet help in this task, acting with great sincerity; one of the leading institutions to carry this out is the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS).

AMS is an umbrella body for Muslim schools registered in the U.K. Of the more than 150 schools registered in 2014, 120 are affiliated with AMS. It was its chairman, Ashfaque Chowdhury, who kindly extended an invitation to us to attend the Interfaith Education awards at the Chateau Impney last Saturday. His enthusiasm and dedication in creating a stronger British Muslim society that will help form a more cohesive British society are abundantly clear.

The idea behind interfaith from the Muslim perspective is no different from that of the British government. Muslims want to be British Muslims, with an emphasis on both their Britishness and their Muslim identity. Part of the British ethos is that all members of society, no matter their belief or faith, should work together to create a better society. AMS works off the principle that all members of society must demonstrate tolerance and work together, based on the idea that diversity only adds to the value of society.

The Interfaith Education Awards was the first such event to be organized by the Association of Muslim Schools; this was done in partnership with Human Appeal. The venue, a chateau that surprisingly emerges from the beautiful West Midlands countryside, was impressive and fitting for the event. A large crowd attended the event comprising of the regular British Muslim crowd as well as representatives from other faiths, including the Bishop of Wolverhampton and representatives from the armed forces and police. There were a large number of Muslim men and women in army, navy, air force and police uniforms.

The awards ceremony was an opportunity for the community to acknowledge and reward outstanding contributions from educators and leaders from all faiths, beliefs and cultures. The awards given last Saturday included the following categories:Health and Wellbeing Award: The Health and Well-being Award category was open to educators who had "developed a vibrant and progressive culture and climate of improving health and well-being."Creative Learning Award: The Creative Learning Award was given in recognition of an individual who had "developed a vibrant and progressive culture and climate of continuous innovation."

Lifetime Achievement Award: This category was open to those instructors approaching the end of their careers. The aim was to award their leadership and commitment to the community.

Teacher Award: The Teacher Award was a category for teachers who have inspired their students, helping them to reach their full potential.

Community Outreach Award: This award was sponsored by the Armed Forces Muslim Association. The award category recognized educators who had "made significant contributions through participation across Community Outreach through their involvement in programs, services or operations."

Pastoral Care: The Pastoral Care Award category was for educators who had "demonstrated exceptional cooperative effort in supporting the pastoral care of pupils and their families."

Educational Support Award: This award recognized educators who supported "children, young people, staff and the life of the school setting and wider community."

3FF Interfaith Award: The 3FF Interfaith Award was sponsored by the Three Faith Forum (3FF) and awarded to an individual who had "demonstrated exceptional effort in giving young people the opportunity to encounter and learn from those from different faith and belief backgrounds"

Transformational Leader Award: This category recognized teachers who inspired their students and as a result, the community.

Head Teacher Award: This award category recognized head teachers who are inspirational and motivational and bring "learning to life" while inspiring "all to fulfill their potential."

Before the Interfaith Education Awards were given, the candidates on the shortlist were reviewed by the judges. There were a number of categories to which teachers had been nominated. The judges who made the final decisions included representatives from all three faiths.

Support for the award ceremony was provided by a variety of institutions, including 3FF, Cambridge Assessment, International Education, the Manchester Islamic Education Trust, the Armed Forces Muslim Association and many other institutions.

There can be no doubt that the Interfaith Education Awards was a very important event, but the AMS does much more than this. The AMS's vision is "... to provide high quality services and support for the development of excellence in Muslim schools, nurturing love of knowledge, continuous pursuit of taqwa [God consciousness] and Ihsan [excellence] in all spheres of life for learners and educators."

The Association of Muslim Schools was established in the late 1980s. However, this was not in the U.K., but in Durban, South Africa. The impetus for establishing AMS was that Islamic or Muslim Schools had a need for guidance. Such guidance would help the schools better create a curriculum that would serve both the academic and spiritual needs of their students.

The vision for the establishment of the first Association of Muslim Schools is: "To provide a range of quality services which will enable our schools to deliver an Islamically based education of the highest standard and quality."

Some of the accomplishments of the South African AMS include establishing a school evaluation and management course, as well as different workshops for teachers. Since 2000, the association has also held seven A-Side National Soccer Tournaments.

The Association of Muslim Schools established its sister association in the United Kingdom in 2001. The AMS in the U.K. is the only such organization to be recognized by British law due to the significant role it plays in supporting Muslim schools throughout the nation.

The objectives of AMS are to promote and represent the interests of Muslim schools, as well as to discuss matters concerning the policy and administration of the schools. The association establishes committees to work on curriculum and teacher training, as well as organizing conferences and workshops to the same end. AMS encourages schools to collaborate to share the best practices, and aims to offer the best possible Islamic education and train model educators, educating students that will make positive contributions to the British society.AMS also works in interfaith and intercultural activities, inculcating mutual respect and a sense of justice in their students.

The associations, both in the U.K. and South Africa, carry out many other worthy activities concerned with the education of our Muslim youth. However, more important than all of these very worthy activities are that the associations' encouragement of cooperation between schools. And not just schools in the country in which they are located. These institutions provide cooperation between schools in different countries, encouraging the exchange of ideas, students and personnel.

Such an undertaking can only serve to strengthen the Muslim community. This is as important as interfaith activities. Interfaith activities allow members of different sectors of society to cooperate and learn about one another. But by encouraging Muslims in different countries to become acquainted with one another, AMS has opened the way for young Muslims to gain confidence and experience. By allowing young Muslims to communicate their dreams, their ideas and their concerns for the future, AMS has opened the way for young Muslims to come up with solutions to the large number of serious problems that face them today.

It is unfortunate but true that of all religious and non-religious groups, today it is the Muslim youth face the greatest challenges. Whether it be in Rakhine, Yemen, Syria, the U.K., South Africa or Turkey, Muslim youth have a very different experience to youth from other beliefs.

And it is for this very reason that Muslim youth need to come together to learn from one another and to support one another in order to come up with unique solutions to their unique problems.

Good relationships between the communities make better and more positive interaction possible, leading to a stronger and more cohesive community. At this point in time, such positive interactions are of vital importance for countries like Turkey.

In addition to the influx of Syrian refugees, many of whom are in camps, with many more living in very challenging circumstances in major cities throughout the country, Turkey has had a long history of emigration and immigration.

The presence in Istanbul of Armenian, Jewish, Greek Orthodox and Catholic communities is testimony to this. But how many of these schools carry out joint projects with schools, public or private, which teach an Islamic curriculum alongside the normal curriculum? It is time for that to start. The youth of Turkey must come together, without concern about religious, political or cultural identity, to work for the future of their country.