Sultan stresses importance of historical documentation

Kerala: His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Tuesday delivered a lecture in the presence of academic and media officials in Kerala on the importance of documentation and methodology of scientific research in historical documentation.

Dr Shaikh Sultan began his lecture with a brief description of his educational career from the foundation stage through his study of agriculture at Cairo University and then his doctoral dissertation. He received two PhDs, one in geography and the other in history from University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

He reviewed his research experience in the history of the Gulf region, which led him to visit the Indian Documents Library in Mumbai, where he found many important documents supporting his research project in that period, stressing that this experience contributed to the establishment of his private library containing thousands of resources and important historical references.

The Sharjah Ruler explained that his private library today was able to help many scientific institutions, as it is providing resources to the scientific complex in Egypt after the fire incident. His library also provides the libraries of the University of Sharjah and Al Qasimia University with documents and books in various literary and scientific fields. Recently, the Manuscript House was opened in Sharjah, which contains manuscripts of his own personal collections.

At the conclusion of his speech, Dr Shaikh Sultan answered queries and gave advice to those interested in studying historical documentation and manuscripts, calling them to further research and investigate information, stressing that information is not exclusive to any one person but is a right of all.

The lecture was attended by Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council; Shaikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler’s Office; Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of Government Relations Department; Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture and Information; Mohammad Obaid Al Za’abi, Director of the Sharjah Department of Protocol and Guesthouses; and Mohammad Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of Sharjah Media Corporation, and a number of diplomats, academics and businessmen.

Earlier, Sushma Swaraj, Indian External Affairs Minister, expressed her thanks to Dr Shaikh Sultan for his generous gesture pardoning 149 Indian prisoners. On Tuesday, Dr Shaikh Sultan announced amnesty for all Indian nationals in Sharjah jails who have completed three years in non-criminal offences. A total of 149 prisoners will receive amnesty and Dr Shaikh Sultan will pay off their debts of Dh20 million.