Banning of Dutch MP from UK Entry;Reaction and Response

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Dutch Freedom Party MP, Geert Wilders, was invited by Lord Pearson, a member of the UKIP Party, to attend a parliamentary session to discuss the European Union and Islam where the Islamophobic film ‘Fitna’ was apparently to be shown in the House of Lords. He was excluded by the Government from entering the United Kingdom for public security.

Now the question comes up why he was banned? Dutch MP Mr. Wilders describes the Holy Qur’an as a fascist book” and compared it to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He has called for the Qur’an to be banned. Mr. Wilders also links the Islamic Holy Book to terrorism. The film ‘Fitna’ caused outrage across the Muslim world when it was posted on the internet last year. Mr. Wilders faces trial in his own country for inciting hatred. Earlier, this year, a Dutch court ordered prosecutors to put Mr. Wilders on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination by making anti-Islamic statements.

Under the circumstances, Mr. Wilders was denied entry by the Home Office amid fears his presence would endanger public security. The Government said it would not allow extremism and hatred to be spread through the communities of Britain.

The Home Office said there was a blanket ban on Mr. Wilders entering the UK under EU law enabling member states to exclude someone whose presence could threaten public security. “The Government opposes extremism in all forms,” it said in a statement, adding that it had tightened up rules on excluding those engaging in “unacceptable behaviour” in October.

“It will stop those who want to spread extremism, hatred, and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country.”

Reaction
The Home Secretary has the power to stop people entering the UK if she believes there is a threat to national security, public order or the safety of UK citizens. The British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, MP. said the home secretary made a decision on an individual case. “We have profound commitment to freedom of speech but there is no freedom to cry ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre and there is no freedom to stir up hate, religious and racial hatred, according to the laws of the land,” he added.

Commenting on the decision to exclude Geert Wilders Cohesion Minister Sadiq Khan, MP., said: “Actions that incite hatred towards an individual or group that undermine our shared values are unacceptable.

“The Government opposes extremism in all its forms and we will stop anyone who wants to spread extremism, hatred and violent messages in our communities from coming to our country. We act consistently in making decisions to refuse anyone entry, having taken all the factors in each case into account,” Minister Khan added.

“Our aim is to foster community cohesion in this country and we will do that by promoting a sense of shared values that includes respect for the rule of law, freedom of speech, equality of opportunity and respect for others,” said Minister Khan and added, “We have legislation in place to protect people from incitement and hate crime which we have and will continue to enforce.”

Commenting on the BBC’s Panorama programme shown last night (!7 February 2009), Sadiq Khan said: “The preventing extremism work that we have been doing with communities up and down the country is in partnership between local communities and local authorities. We have invested highly in some of the most vulnerable communities in our country.

“The Panorama programme made some very serious allegations about prevent work being used to spy on British Muslim communities. This is untrue,” Minister Khan also said.

Cohesion Minister Sadiq Khan also said, “Prevent is about stopping people from being drawn into violent extremism and it is about working with Muslim communities at every level to build their resilience and enable them to challenge robustly the ideas of those extremists who seek to undermine this country’s shared values. We continue to expand our relationships to ensure we are talking to, and working with, those at the grassroots. Our emphasis is on engaging with those within our communities who acknowledge the problem of extremism, who voice this acknowledgement and who are actively seeking to address the problem.”

“Parents of all faiths and communities want to keep their children safe from radicalisers. We are committed to helping them to do that, and the money we are providing to local authorities for Prevent work is being used to do just that,” Minister Khan observed.

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman, Chris Huhne, said even with freedom of speech, there was a line to be drawn.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs committee, insisted that Fitna could incite violence in its audience.

Response from Muslim Parliamentarians
Labour Peer Lord Ahmed, who expressed his concerns to the Parliamentary authorities about Mr. Wilders’ visit, said he welcomed the Home Secretary’s decision to ban the MP from entering the UK. Lord Ahmed said “this man is facing serious charges of inciting hatred and discrimination in Amsterdam, and has incited hatred amongst the communities in the UK.”

“This film creates hatred, and further segregates communities,” he reportedly said.

Lord Ahmed continued, stating “we are peace-loving citizens of the UK and do not want to see extremist groups incite hatred. This is something we campaign against.”

Lord Patel of Blackburn said, in an interview with me, “The government is absolutely right. The person, in the name of freedom of speech, tries to divide the community on the basis of religion, should not be allowed in our country, where the government is trying to unite the all faith communities and also all heritage communities and belief in community cohesion.

“So, under the circumstances, how can any government of the world, allow the person who spreads racial prejudice and tries to divide the community,” said Lord Patel.

Support from Muslim Community leaders
The Muslim Council of Britain, the Umbrella organisation of the British Muslims, said Mr Wilders was “an open and relentless preacher of hate”. “Geert Wilders has been an open and relentless preacher of hate, there is little difference between his views and those of the far right. We have no problem with the challenge of criticisms to our faith, but the film that will be screened tomorrow by Lord Pearson and Baroness Cox is nothing less than a cheap and tacky attempt to whip up hysteria against Muslims. Mr Wilders' xenophobic and repugnant views has been identified by a Dutch court, and is now confirmed by his official exclusion to the United Kingdom. It now time to ask why Peers of Realm who promote such demagogues without any censure are allowed to be regarded as mainstream, responsible leaders in our community,” said The Muslim Council of Britain.

Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, General Secretary of the Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO), said to me in an interview, “We, the British Muslims, are glad that our government has refused entry to the Dutch M.P. – Mr. Geert Wilders, because his presence will cause discord between faith communities. Our Union, for the last 39 years, have been striving to promote good relations with all faith communities. So, we do not want anyone to come to this country to create discord and friction in this multi-faith society. We are also very much concerned how some members of the House of Lords has screened this film in the House of Lords knowing fully well that it is a blasphemous film intended to incite religious hatred, which is legally forbidden in this country.”

“People have wrong conception about Holy Qur’an. It should clearly be understood that this is a literal Word of Allah the Almighty sent for the guidance of the whole mankind and unless the entire Holy Qur’an is completely read and understood it is impossible to take a few passages and make unwarranted comments,” said Dr. Pasha and added, “People of intelligence and fair-mindedness acknowledge the fact that the Holy Qur’an brought about an intellectual revolution. Europe which was in a state of darkness became civilized on account of the contribution Muslims made through the Universities of Saville, Granada and Toledo.”

Dr. Pasha also mentioned, “All the modern sciences owe a great deal of debt to the Holy Qur’an and the Muslims as a result of which Europe now is a civilized continent. One example which we can quote is that of Ibn Sina (well-known in the West as Avicenna) – his book on medicine was a textbook in the Universities of Europe for forty years. It is enough to say that the Holy Qur’an is the fountain head of all knowledge and humanity owes a debt of gratitude to Allah the Almighty for sending this unique revelation through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to conveyed to the humanity at large.”

Dr. Pasha said, “We want to make it clear that women were treated like chattel in the Western world until the Holy Qur’an was revealed which raised the status of women to that of legal equality with men. It is travesty of truth to say Islam treats women as inferior. The Muslim women enjoy the life of dignity and honour and upholders of high moral standard.”

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, also supported the Home Secretary’s decision. “His fascist views are not welcome in our country where we pride ourselves as a multi-faith society,” he said. “This is not about freedom of speech but about stopping the incitement to religious hatred this man promotes.”

After he was sent home Thursday a Dutch foreign ministry spokesman said: “The United Kingdom has the right, just like the Netherlands, to refuse people entry for reasons of safety and security. “Of course we acknowledge that right, but we do not agree with the way it is being exercised in this case.”

Opinion of the Press
The Observer editorially observed on Sunday, the 15th of February, 2009, “Geert Wilders’s short film Fitna is a poisonous dose of brutal propaganda, designed to foment fear and hatred of Muslims.”

“But that is not its only purpose. Mr Wilders, a Dutch MP, is touting his shoddy little oeuvre around Europe to provoke outrage, stoke aggressive reaction and thereby promote the real product – himself,” wrote The Observer editorially.

The editorial continued, “How sad then that the Home Office should oblige that ambition by barring Mr Wilders from the UK. How sad also that members of the upper chamber of parliament should conspire to erect the stage on which Mr Wilders can play out his deluded fantasy of a political crusade: Lord Pearson and Baroness Cox by inviting him to show his film; Lord Ahmed by asking that he be banned.”

Writing in The Sunday Times, on 15 February, 2009, Minette Marrin wrote, “Those who insist that freedom of speech within the law must be absolute are also missing the point; there are times when public order trumps free speech, as the wildest of libertarians must agree. Careless talk can cost lives and grown-up governments have a duty of pragmatism. So if the home secretary rightly judged that Wilders is a man likely and possibly anxious to stir up serious trouble, then she was right to have him put on the next plane home at Heathrow last Thursday. But did she judge rightly? Or was she guilty of the poor judgment, moral funk and cultural appeasement that we have come to expect of new Labour?”

She also observed, “It is difficult to avoid thinking the man must be as aggressively silly as his preposterous cockscomb hairdo; he has urged the Dutch government to ban the Koran as “fascist” and he is facing prosecution there for incitement to hatred and discrimination. He seems to be entirely the wrong man to make a balanced, thoughtful case about anything.”

About the nature of the film ‘Fitna’, Marrin commented, “Fitna is extremely unbalanced and, in that sense, misleading.”

Commenting on Mr. Wilders’ statement on the Qur’an, Marrin wrote, “To call the Koran “fascist” as Wilders has done is stupid, empty and needlessly offensive.”

Comparing this issue with the Salman Rushdie affairs vis-à-vis freedom of speech, Catherine Bennett mentioned in The Observer, on 15th of February 2009, “A year later, Norman Tebbit agreed that the “villain” Rushdie had “betrayed” and “degraded” Islam. On the Labour side, a lot of us will never forget Lord Hattersley, then plain Roy and deputy leader of his party, explaining why the paperback of The Satanic Verses should not be published. “The proposition that Muslims are welcome in Britain if, and only if, they stop behaving like Muslims is a doctrine which is incompatible with the principles which govern and guide a free society,” he argued.”

“Whatever “behaving like Muslims” actually meant,” Bennett raised the question and quoted from the former member of the radical Islamic political group, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Ed Husain, 34, who authored the book ‘Islamist’ and presently one of the directors of the controversial counter-extremism think-tank, The Quilliam Foundation. “Today, Muslim Ed Husain tells us: “Geert Wilders should be allowed in because this is a country that has pioneered freedom of speech, from Milton and Locke through to Mill,” wrote Bennett in The Observer on 15th of February, 2009.

The Foundation, set up ten months ago, which have been given almost £1 million of public money, says that it is working to tackle the extreme Islamist ideology coming out of mosques, universities and madrasas in countries such as Syria and Pakistan.

WMC calls upon Muslim States to send
immediate relief to suffering Gazans

Dr. Mozammel Haque

ISLAMABAD: The World Muslim Congress (WMC) calls upon Muslim States; humanitarian organizations; International Red Cross; Red Crescent and UNICEF to send immediate relief goods to suffering citizens of Gaza, in its resolution passed at its Executive Council meeting in Islamabad.

The Two-day Executive Council Meeting of the World Muslim Congress (WMC) was held at the Chandani Hall of the Holiday Inn Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan between 16 and 17th of January 2009. The meeting discussed the Palestinian issue, the regional situation in South Asia, the present status of Interfaith Dialogue and its possible improvement with particular reference to the initiative taken by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, the present situation in the Darfur region of Sudan and the evolution of a system to reach out to Muslim Youth for making them useful and exemplary citizen.

Interview
Before the inauguration of the Executive Council meeting of the WMC, I had the opportunity to interview the President, Vice-President and the Secretary General of the WMC on the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq
Speaking about the situation of Gaza, Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, the former Religious Affairs Minister of Pakistan and presently the Secretary General of the World Muslim Congress said, in an interview with me, “It’s a continuing tragedy. I don’t think there is any parallel what is happening in the mass killings butchery, even the hospitals are not spared; the journalists, television headquarters they have been targeted and there is absolutely no effective movement to stop this carnage.

“People are absolutely shocked that the Muslim leadership is not moving they are so ineffective. In any case, it’s a human tragedy and it has to be dealt with as a human cause. It is correct that they are Muslims; that does not mean that only Muslim should raise their voice,” Haq said.

“Bolivia has taken the lead in sending Israeli ambassador back out of his country. At least that should have been the pattern of all the Muslim countries and those who have diplomatic relations with Israel they should have sent their Israeli ambassadors out of their countries and call back their ambassadors. That was the minimum they could have done. That was also not done. They have not taken any lesson from that. That has disappointed the Muslim masses and even other people,” mentioned Haq.

Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef
Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, former Deputy Chairman of the Shoura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and presently the President of the World Muslim Congress told me in an interview, “How the Muslims is behaving about the Jewish Holocaust on the Muslims of Gaza? How we can awaken the people? The aggression is so bad, unbelievably severe and without any necessity. The excuse Israel gave that the Hamas are sending rockets to Israel which is nothing but very unbelievable excuse.”

Dr. Naseef mentioned killing of civilians is nothing new for the Jews. “I think this is part of the Jewish tradition. They don’t care whether the children were killed, women, old people or the people who have no relations with the things. They claim they want to reach the Hamas fighters. This is a very childish excuse,” said Dr. Naseef.

Dr. Naseef also said, “It has been very bad example about the disunity of the Muslims and their lack of information, lack of orientation.”

Dr. Naseef also talked about Muslim society “which are wild against Divine Order” and mentioned “there are Riba, Zina and many other things in our society. Leaders are not coming from Heaven; they are part of the Ummah. We have to start from the grassroots. We want the people to know what the purpose of their creation is; what is the objective of their life. How can they obey Allah Almighty – something positive?” said Dr. Naseef.

Dr. Naseef also mentioned, “We have to appeal to the international community that the aggression has to be stopped immediately and then negotiations can take place and also to give the people of Gaza food, medicines and so on and to open the borders for the food and medicines.”

Dr. Naseef said, “Our Muslim leaders and Heads of States should be much more firm on Israel and to show them it is not acceptable.”

Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed
Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of Sri Lanka who have been nearly 60 years now in Sri Lankan Parliament and the Vice-president of the WMC, told me in an interview, “I think the Arab world should approach the real issue. Unfortunately, they are not firm enough. In my view, Arabs must be more firmer; I think the people may be but the Arab governments are not so active and are bnot very much interested in that issue. I think they must do rethinking and for the sake of Islam and for the sake of Muslims, they must all stand unitedly.”

After the Jumah prayer, the World Muslim Congress delegation met Miah Nawaz Sharif, the President of the Pakistan Muslim League and also discussed about the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

On Palestine Issue
WMC appeals to the President of Senegal to
call immediately OIC Emergency Summit

The meeting of Executive Council of the WMC condemned in the strongest terms the continuing carnage inhuman and brutal force against civilians in Gaza by Israeli forces resulting in tremendous loss of human lives including schools, hospitals and media centers. There is no doubt that it is the worst human tragedy in recent history. While the people of conscious are demonstrating against this bloodshed, there is no concrete step taken by the Organization of Islamic Conference.

The WMC resolved, “We appeal to the President of Senegal, who is also the head of the OIC, to immediately call the session of OIC emergency summit: - i) To impress upon the United Nations Security Council to enforce its resolution for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territory; ii) To call upon all those countries including the Muslims states who have diplomatic relations with Israel to withdraw their Ambassadors from Israel as a protest; iii) We call upon Muslim States; humanitarian organizations; International Red Cross; Red Crescent and UNICEF to send immediate relief goods to suffering citizens of Gaza.”

The WMC resolution also said, “The World Muslim Congress feels that those who use force to impose their will against weaker sections of humanity do not realize that by their actions they make their world more unsafe for a long time to come. They sow the seeds of hatred in the minds of younger and coming generations and create a rift in the human family.”

“It would also be the first test of the new American administration to change the policy of the use of brute force as the only method of combating terrorism and extremism. People of the world would like to see a qualitative change in the policies of the new administration,” the WMC resolution said.

On Kashmir
Give the Kashmiri people the right
to decide their own future, says WMC

The World Muslim Congress also discussed about the situation in Kashmir and strongly felt that the resolution of Kashmir issue is pivotal to the establishment of peace in the Sub-Continent. The non resolution of this issue has, time and again, rather continuously brought havoc to the lives of millions of men, women and children in the occupied territory who are facing the worst human rights violations.

The WMC resolution said, “It is imperative that the International Community takes serious steps for putting an end to the sufferings of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and in this connection, we welcome the proposal of the newly elected President of United States to appoint the former President Bill Clinton as his representative to make fresh efforts for a peaceful resolution of this dispute.”

“The Executive Council also appreciates the proposal of the British Foreign Secretary that to bring lasting peace to the sub-continent, the countries of the region shall have to resolve the Kashmir dispute which has avoided resolution for the last 60 years. The only democratic and peaceful course we consider open is giving the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir the right to decide their own future, as decided by the United Nations Security Council,” said the WMC resolution.

The WMC also resolved, “The recent escalation of tension between Pakistan and India after the incidents in Mumbai is a matter of concern for the World Muslim Congress. We appreciate the proposition of Pakistan for joint investigation of all aspects of the incident, keeping in view the objective of bringing down the level of tension and re-establishment of good neighbourly relations.”

On Sudan
The Executive Council of the World Muslim Congress expressed its solidarity with the brotherly country of Sudan and “rejects pressures on this nation through machinations, false propaganda to internationalize a local dispute and efforts to malign its leadership. We appreciate the role played by some of the Muslim countries, especially State of Qatar for a peaceful resolution of the issue.”

The WMC also decided “to send a delegation to the area to make a fresh study of the latest developments and appeals to all sides to come to the conference table to resolve this issue which has a bearing on the national security and integrity of Sudan. We also appeal to Muslim organizations to urgently send humanitarian assistance to the affected area without any discrimination,” the WMC resolved.

Interfaith Dialogue
The World Muslim Congress has right from the very beginning has made concerted efforts in the field of Interfaith Dialogue. This process of dialogue, despite numerous difficulties and set backs is the path of civilized behavior and a major contribution towards International peace and development. The WMC expressed its deep appreciation for all Muslim and non-Muslim organizations working for this cause but the responsibility of the World Muslim Congress, as a pioneer organization, has its distinct responsibilities, for the discharge of which we must use all modern methods of communication, to achieve its objectives.

The WMC resolved, “The World Muslim Congress brings on record, its deep appreciation for the initiative taken by Khadimul Haramain Al Shareefain King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz for organizing an interfaith congress, first in the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) and then in Madrid (Spain) and then at the United Nations Headquarters, to defuse tension between different religious communities. The path of dialogue is the path of civilized behaviour which would certainly decrease tensions in the world. The Council appeals to the world media to promote interfaith dialogue as a contribution to international peace.”

On Muslim Youth
The World Muslim Congress discussed the problems of guiding the Muslim youth in various societies with their particular circumstances for the purposes of making them better and useful citizens not only in their own societies but in the rest of the world.

The WMC resolved, “The issues of violence, crime and drugs besides child labor and revision of curriculum in the educational institutions, technical training and for this purpose, the training of the trainers, youth camps and programs, the role of the scouts movement and the programs of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth were also discussed. The role of ISESCO and UNESCO should also be enhanced.”

Accident-Free Most Successful
This Year’s Hajj

Dr. Mozammel Haque

This year’s Hajj was the accident-free most successful Hajj because the nearly three million pilgrims completed their rituals in a peaceful and secure atmosphere. They stoned Jamarat Al-Aqaba in the City of Tents (Mina), slaughtered sacrificial animals and performed Tawaf Al-Ifadah on Monday, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah (8th of December 2008). This year’s Hajj was free from any disaster. This is mainly due to the newly-built high-tech four-level SR.4-billion Jamarat Bridge which has the capacity to accommodate up to 300,000 people per hour and up to 5 million pilgrims in total and also due to road network inside the Holy sites.

According to the latest statistics from the General Statistics Authority in the Kingdom, 2,408,849 pilgrims, including 1,729,841 from abroad, performed Hajj this year. About 200,000 pilgrims are believed to be from the city of Makkah. Nearly 480,000 illegal local pilgrims, mostly foreigners, were able to sneak through the roads leading to Makkah to perform Hajj this year, official said.

Stoning at Jamarat
The stoning at Jamarat, which began on Monday, the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, is the most potentially perilous aspect of Hajj due to so many people convening at this location. Nearly three million people passed through the Jamarat complex to symbolically throw their stones at the three pillars of Satan. In order to protect the crowd from it, more than 300,000 security personnel were positioned at several places on the bridge and before the entrances to the bridge. Their aim was to ensure one-way flow of foot traffic through the recently renovated and expanded complex, which is still incomplete but considerably larger and more accommodating than last year.

The three-story Jamarat Bridge, which is 1.2 kilometre in length and 100 metres in width, is a magnificent architectural structure. The oval-shaped places for stoning the Jamarat have been designed in such a way as to enable the pilgrims perform the stoning ritual with ease and in comfort. By Wednesday noon, the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims stoned the Jamarat safely.

Nearly three million pilgrims began on Monday the first day of the Eid Al-Adha feast, by stoning the Jamarat Al-Aqaba, followed by sacrificing animal to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son for God and then shaving the head or trimming the hair. The first step of the ritual went on smoothly and with ease. Monday’s ritual was the first real test for Hajj forces preparations on Al-Jamarat Bridge.

Measures taken to make Hajj Smoothly
All these went smoothly because of the following measures taken by the Saudi authorities to make this year as well as all other years Hajj accident-free successful Hajj. The following measures, such as enforcement of ‘No Permit No Hajj’ law, Traffic movement at Jamarat, Emergency and Evacuation Plans, carrying bags and suitcases not allowed at Jamarat, smooth Vehicular Movement at Holy sites and Crowd Management in Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Enforcement of ‘No Permit, No Hajj’ Law
The enforcement of the ‘No Permit, No Hajj’ Law this year had decreased the number of illegal local pilgrims by 60 percent. Nearly 480,000 illegal local pilgrims, mostly foreigners, were able to sneak through the roads leading to Makkah to perform Hajj this year, reported in the press.

Traffic Movement at Jamarat
To facilitate pilgrims on the first day of Tashreeq especially in the Jamarat area, a large force of newly trained security personnel was assigned to regulate the flow of pilgrims towards the Jamarat Bridge. Civil Defence teams of 5,000 cadets were mobilized to oversee the movement of the pilgrims during the stoning ritual.

Emergency and Evacuation Plan
About 2,000 Civil Defence officers were trained to deal with emergencies and evacuation plans. A section of the force was responsible for ensuring that pilgrims were not carrying any luggage or other belongings while coming for the stoning ritual. About 100,000 Saudi Security personnel oversaw security, traffic and other arrangements in the Holy sites.

Carrying bags and suitcases not allowed at Jamarat
As per order of the Hajj organisers, the pilgrims were not allowed to carry bags and suitcases with them during the stoning ritual. This means that they had to stone the Jamarat after 12.00 p.m. and then return to their tents to collect their luggage before proceeding to Makkah for Tawaf al-Wida – the final duty in Hajj before they return home.

Smooth Vehicular Movement at Holy sites
The increase in the number of Tunnels at the Holy sites had facilitated the traffic flow during this Hajj. Three more Tunnels were added this year to the old five Tunnels through which vehicles transport pilgrims and goods. The new Tunnels were instrumental in ensuring smooth vehicular movement and the special tunnel security force, a task force that monitors patrols and resolve issues exclusively in the tunnels that arise from time to time. The control room was the heart of the operation tracking movement in the Tunnels. They supervised the activities of the tunnel task force.

Crowd Management in Grand Mosque in Makkah
About 1,500 cameras were installed in the Holy sites to monitor the millions of pilgrims coming for completion of their Hajj rituals and some 800 cameras watched pilgrims in the Grand Mosque in Makkah as a way to manage the crowd and avoid congestion that might lead to stampede. These cameras helped to take appropriate decisions for crowd management. 6,000 security men from four security agencies were working together to secure the routes for nearly 2.5 million pilgrims who performed the farewell Tawaf (Tawaf Al-Wada) on Wednesday, the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah. The mass of pilgrims doing Tawaf was transmitted via LCD screens distributed in the courtyards of the Haram.

Introduction of Special facilities
During this year’s Hajj, so many special facilities such as caring those with special needs, setting up pharmacies and ATMs in Mina for Pilgrims benefit, charging points for Mobile Battery, chairs for barbar in Mina, lost pilgrim centre, and Hospital in Mina were introduced.

Caring those with Special Needs
Pilgrims with special needs this year are grateful to King Abdullah who had provided them with special vehicles to the Jamarat Bridge for the ritual of stoning the devil. King Abdullah this year made available 10 small buses to take pilgrims with special needs to Al-Jamarat. The Ministry of Education also sent this year 19 Boy Scouts all of whom were hearing-impaired to work at the hospitals in Mina.

Setting up Pharmacies, ATMs in Mina for Pilgrims benefit
For the first time during a Hajj season, the Municipality of Makkah had set up a special location for pharmacies and ATM machines to help the pilgrims. In Mina, there were six pharmacies and eight ATM machines making it convenient for the pilgrims to find the things they need. The Municipality this year had also earmarked 300 sites for selling goods to pilgrims.

Charging points for Mobile battery
To facilitate pilgrims charging their mobile batteries, authorities had set up several points at various places in Mina.

Chairs for Barbers in Mina
This year the Municipality had allocated 1,100 barber chairs for barbers at different places in the Holy sites and Municipal inspectors made regular tours to guarantee that only new razors were used for shaving pilgrims’ heads.

The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) trained over 100 barbers who were committed to observe health regulations at their centre in Mina. The Centre of Saudi barbers functioned in the midst of chaotic barbershops around the Jamarat.

Lost Pilgrim Centre
The rate of lost pilgrims was much lower than last year. The Lost Pilgrims Centre, which has been in existence for two years, aims to help lost pilgrims who otherwise would spend hours trying to find their way around. There were more than 20 centres around Mina equipped with a computerized system to give the required help to lost pilgrims. Using modern technology, the Saudi Scouts Society (SSS) in cooperation with different ministries including Hajj, Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance and different security departments was able to guide lost pilgrims to their tents.

There were 4,000 Boy Scouts working this Hajj. About 1,500 of them were representing the Ministry of Education while the remaining was from different Saudi Universities.


Hospital In Mina
Al-Jessar Hospital in Mina is not a small operation. This 122-bed facility has 330 staff members during Hajj including 92 physicians and 140 nurses and Lab assistants. The Hospital also has four intensive care units. The very worst year in the Hajj service was in 1997, the year of the tent fire, in which more than 300 pilgrims were killed. This year the number of patients treated at the Hospital was 50 percent less than last year.

Media coverage of this year’s Hajj
The media’s coverage of this year’s Hajj was greater than ever. As recently as the late 1990’s, there was almost no coverage of Hajj outside the Middle East. Then a decade ago, Riz Khan covered the event for CNN.

For this year’s Hajj, about 300 media representatives from various parts of the world were covering Hajj season this year. They represent Arab, Islamic and international television channels, news agencies, newspapers and broadcasting stations.

Comments by U.S. Congressman
Keith Ellison, a member of the United States Congress from Minnesota, said he was amazed at the beautiful and marvellously designed architecture of the Holy Mosque in Makkah and the Jamarat Bridge in Mina. He also praised the well thought-out and brilliantly-executed Hajj arrangements and the cleanliness and hygienic conditions in Mina, reported in Jeddah-based English daily Saudi Gazette.

Eid-ul-Adha Messages from Two Kingdoms
Next day after Arafat, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, Monday, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, corresponding to 8th of December 2008, when the Pilgrims completed their stoning rituals at Jamarat, sacrificing animals, the Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Makkah and Madina as well as in the United Kingdom, on Monday, the 8th of December, 2008. On this occasion of Eid Al-Adha, King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, greeted citizens, pilgrims and all Muslims. In their address, the King and the Crown Prince laid stress on promoting the values of truth, goodness and integrity shunning hostility and animosity.

King Abdullah’s Message on Monday
“From this sacred land, Mina, Mount Arafat and the Grand Mosque, to where the pilgrims flocked responding to God’s call and stood in prayers and circumambulated the Kaaba, we congratulate the pilgrims for performing Hajj and related rituals. We also pray the Almighty Allah to accept and bless their Hajj,” King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan said in a greeting message read out by Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari.

“The Hajj rituals bind the pilgrims together with a sense of love and compassion and mutual support cutting across their differences of colour, nationalities and languages,” the king and crown prince said in a joint statement. “By performing Hajj rituals, they (the pilgrims) fill the world, in fact, the entire world with mercy, tolerance, compassion and peace, promoting the values of truth, goodness and integrity while getting rid of all their hatred and animosities. Consequently, they will return to their home countries enriched with this kind of spiritual light which pushes human values to their peaks,” the joint message said.

They also underscored the role of Hajj in promoting the values of truth, virtue and integrity and ending resentment and animosity. “Dear brothers and sisters: The pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque of Makkah is a great occasion for which every Muslim participates with his full heart, mind and soul. As such, you ought to utilize these blessed moments in order to return as if you were just born, pure from sins and misdeeds, and to return to your families enriched with some of the rewards of Hajj, well-guided and ready to guide,” the message said.

“We wish you and all mankind safety and peace,” the King and Crown Prince concluded.

Eid Sermons from Haramain in Makkah and Madina
Eid prayers were offered in hundreds of thousands of prayer places and mosques across the Kingdom. The Eid Al-Adha prayer in the Masjid Al-Haram was led by Sheikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Aal Talib. He said the purpose of Eid was to recognize and thank Allah for the bounties He blessed us with.

Aal Talib reminded that the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah stress moral excellence, good manners and safeguarding society’s and individuals’ rights. People should be kind and obedient to their parents, keep in touch with their relatives, greet people and keep away from harming or annoying others. The Islamic teachings stress the spreading of love and harmony and warn against cheating, envy and backbiting.

Aal Talib said the Ummah is in dire need for ties of brotherhood and unity among them. There is a need that Muslims unite under one message and goal, spreading good faith towards one another. He warned against conflicts and differences and pointed out that the worst kind of discord is to differ on religion. He stressed that Islam came as a mercy for the entire mankind, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Not only this, but Islam teaches us to be kind to animals, birds and the natural things. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to visit the sick among the Jews and accept their invitations. The Shariah has protected the rights of non-Muslims killed by mistake, as blood-money has to be paid.

In the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Ali Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hudhaifi led the Eid prayers. He said Eid purifies the hearts and brings people together for a good purpose. Sheikh Al-Hudhaifi advised Muslims to be kind and obedient to their parents, visit and maintain ties with their relatives, be kind to their neighbours, and care for their rights. He urged Muslims to have good manners while dealing with people.

Eid-ul-Adha Messages from the United Kingdom
Both the British Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom sent their Eid-ul-Adha Messages to the British Muslim Community on the auspicious occasion of the Eid-ul-Adha.

The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, M.P. has sent a message to the British Muslim Community, saying his warm best wishes on the auspicious occasion of the Eid ul-Adha. The Prime Minister said, “For me, the inspirational thing about the act of Hajj is the great restlessness it shows in the Ummah – the great stirrings for justice that reside in the Muslim heart. When people are drawn from each corner of the world, inspired by a shared and ancient ideal to act as one in the service of a better world – then it summons in us a truly modern hope that we can build a global society characterised by fairness and cooperation and respect.”

“At this special time for the Muslim community we can also reflect upon and celebrate the tremendous contributions of British Muslims to our national life, said the British Prime Minister.

The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, M.P. also sent his best wishes on this special occasion of Eid-ul Adha. “As Muslims all over the world, including in Britain, celebrate with their families, it is a good moment to reflect on the message that Eid carries for us all,” said the British Foreign Secretary and added, “Eid Al Adha marks the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam. It commemorates the sacrifice and steadfastness of the prophet Abraham, forefather of Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. These two qualities, of sacrifice and steadfastness, are ones that must guide what we do - in our families, in our communities, and in how we act in the world.”

King Abdullah at the Interfaith Conference at the United Nations

Dr. Mozammel Haque


Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, urged world leaders attending a historic conference on interfaith dialogue at the United Nations to learn lessons from the past and establish justice in order to end violence. “We say today with a single voice that religions through which Almighty God sought to bring happiness to mankind should not be turned into instruments to cause misery,” the king said in his keynote speech at the Culture of Peace Conference organized by the UN General Assembly.

Meeting with Heads of Muslim states
King Abdullah began this journey of his interfaith dialogue three years ago in the Holy City of Makkah, when he called on all 57 Muslim heads of state to meet in Islam’s holiest city to ponder the issues of extremism and call for a Muslim renaissance. The King reiterated that message in words and deed. The King traveled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world. Given the long history of the Crusades and bitter relations between the followers of Islam and Christianity, that gesture by Abdullah marked a watershed. The visit heralded a new era in the relations between two Abrahamic faiths that have so much in common yet have seldom been at peace with each other. Abdullah’s mission to Vatican was perhaps the strongest message of peace and good will to emanate from Arabia since the dawn of Islam in Makkah.

Meeting with the Vatican Pope
The King reiterated that message in words and deed. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques traveled to Vatican and met Pope Benedict offering him peace and friendship on behalf of the Muslim world. The visit heralded a new era in the relations between two Abrahamic faiths that have so much in common yet have seldom been at peace with each other. Abdullah’s mission to Vatican was perhaps the strongest message of peace and good will to emanate from Arabia since the dawn of Islam in Makkah.

Interfaith dialogue at Makkah and Madrid
Earlier this year, in June 2008, King Abdullah hosted a first historic Interfaith dialogue conference of hundreds of Islamic scholars in the holy city of Makkah to discuss ways of promoting tolerance and more robust interfaith dialogue with the outside world. It was followed by a gathering in Madrid that the King hosted alongside King Juan Carlos of Spain. It was attended by representatives from Vatican, Anglican Church, Judaism, Hinduism and other faiths.

And now he has taken his battle of hearts and minds to the global center-stage at the UN. The landmark UN meeting comes on the recommendation of the World Dialogue Conference that was held in Madrid on July 16, which was attended by more than 300 leaders representing Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism

High-Level Meeting on Culture of Peace at UN
A Two-day interfaith conference titled “High-Level Meeting on Culture of Peace” was held at the UN headquarters from 12-13 November 2008 to promote the culture of peace and dialogue among the followers of various faiths.

UN General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann invited leaders of 192 member countries and observers, including the Vatican, to attend the conference. Many world leaders including US President George W. Bush, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Israeli President Shimon Peres, King Abdallah of Jordan, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference attended at the conference.

President of the UN General Assembly
Opening the Conference, the President of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, warned that the world desperately needs to learn the positive lessons of religion. D’Escoto said all religions included “social responsibility,” but that the world has “become contaminated by the spirit of selfishness and individualism.” “Although social responsibility is a basic law in each of the world’s religions and in all ethical and philosophical traditions, we have allowed ourselves to become contaminated by the spirit of selfishness and individualism, which are the principal values, or rather, anti-values of the globally dominant culture. This culture declares ethics and morals off limits to economic and political activity. It claims that ‘the business of business is business’ and that the concepts of justice and fairness have no place within it. The principles of justice, mercy and compassion are not applicable to economic activities and are deemed to be completely irrelevant,” said D’Escoto.

He hit out at the “unbridled greed” of the “dominant” Western culture. “Unbridled greed and social irresponsibility have thus become the main driving force of the dominant culture. The result is that we have been turned into veritable moral invalids,” said the President of the UN General Assembly.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, thanked King Abdullah for his “dynamic role” in making the UN meeting possible, and Saudi Arabia for a “truly inspiring initiative for global harmony and mutual understanding.” “In fact, the world has suffered a lot because of the lack of appreciation, the lack of understanding, and mutual respect and the differences of opinions in religions and faith and culture,” he said. “This is a good start.”

He said similar initiatives made by a number of countries in the United Nations should have “some complementary effect.” “Among them, the Saudi King’s initiative will also be very important. We also have an Alliance of Civilizations.”

“Extremist ideologies are on the rise. Societies are more polarized. Anti-Semitism remains a scourge. Islamophobia has emerged as a new term for an old and terrible form of prejudice,” the UN chief said.

The UN chief praised King Abdullah’s initiative in promoting dialogue between the followers of different religious faiths and cultures. “Dialogue will certainly bring peoples and nations closer,” he told reporters.

“What we need is dialogue that delivers,” the UN chief said. “We need new partnerships that will continue after the last delegate has gone home.” For this to work, we need to involve everyone: Government officials, grass-roots groups, CEOs, philanthropists, academics and the media. “And we especially need the world’s young people. By virtue of their youth, prejudice may not be as ingrained; in a sense, they may have less to unlearn.”

King Abdullah’s Speech at the United Nations
King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, told world leaders on Wednesday, 12 of November 2008 at a UN Conference on Culture of Peace that the time has come to learn from the unjustifiable bloodshed and destruction caused by fanaticism from religious and cultural differences throughout history, and to gather around common values “for a more peaceful, more just, and more tolerant world.”

“We state with a unified voice that religions through which God Almighty sought to bring happiness to mankind should not be turned into instruments to cause misery,” the King said in the first speech by a Saudi monarch to the United Nations in 51 years, which was delivered at the opening session of the General Assembly’s two-day interfaith conference titled “High-level Meeting on Culture of Peace.”

“Human beings were created as equals and partners on this planet. Either they live together in peace and harmony or they will inevitably be consumed by the flames of misunderstanding, malice and hatred,” King Abdullah said.

In his UN speech, King Abdullah said that throughout history, differences between followers of religions and cultures had engendered intolerance, causing devastating wars and bloodshed without any sound logical or ideological justification.

“It is time to learn from the hard lessons of the past and to meet together on the ethics and ideals in which we all believe. What we differ, will be settled by God on the Judgment Day,” he said.
Human denial of justice has led to the world’s misery, the King said.He called for tolerance and a renewal of family ties to overcome the scourge of terrorism and crime. “Terrorism and criminality are the enemies of God and the enemies of every religion and civilization,” he said. “Had not the principle of tolerance and the wonder surrounding the lives of many young people been absent, they would not have emerged.”

The King blamed the decay of family values for the spread of drug abuse and crime. “Drugs and criminality spread only after the collapse of family ties, which God Almighty wanted to remain strong and firm,” he said.

“The humanity is in need of people like you to guide them and make them understand the facts,” the king said and emphasized the need to preserve the family system intact. The participants representing various faiths commended King Abdullah’s efforts to promote interfaith dialogue.

“We would like to emphasize here that our interest in dialogue was inspired by the teachings of Islam and its values and because of our concern for the future of humanity,” the king said. “We’ll stretch our hands to all those who love peace, justice and tolerance.”

“Our dialogue, which will be conducted in a civilized manner, is sure to revive and consolidate noble values, among peoples and nations. There is no doubt that this would represent a magnificent victory for the best in mankind’s character over the worst in him, giving hope for a future where justice, security and noble life prevails over grievance, fear and poverty,” the king said.

The king made this comment while speaking to leaders of different faiths during a special General Assembly session on interfaith dialogue at the United Nations headquarters in New York. “I hope that this dialogue would be a good beginning for humanity ... The days and years that have passed will not come back ... We had enough of killings, enmity and rights violations,” the king said.

The King urged the participants to form a committee on dialogue to continue efforts for years to come toward peaceful coexistence.

King Abdullah lambasted terrorism. “(Those who indulge in) terrorism and (other) crimes are enemies of God and enemies of every religion and culture,” he said. “They would not have appeared in the presence of tolerance.”

King Abdullah aimed at hastening action on some of the most urgent challenges facing the world. “All the tragedies the world witnesses today is the result of its abandoning of a major principle, the principle of justice, promulgated by all religions and cultures,” said King Abdullah, who is the first Saudi king to address the United Nations in 51 years.

“If countries in the world had turned to peace and kept away from wars and conflicts and spent their time and energy to fight poverty and engage in humanitarian work we would not have seen these diseases and poverty,” the king said.

King Abdullah urged world leaders to open a new era of peace, leaving behind the bloody past, and mobilize their resources to fight poverty, provide treatment to patients and boost development.

The King concluded his speech by reminding the audience of this verse from the Holy Qur’an: “O mankind we created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.”

United Nations Declaration
The UN on Thursday, the 13th of November 2008 acknowledged the world interfaith dialogue process initiated by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in Madrid earlier this year, and appreciated his proposals made at the General Assembly, Wednesday, to keep the dialogue going, free from any political interference.

A statement issued by the General Assembly at the end of its 63rd session on “Culture of Peace,” which was attended by some 80 world leaders, appreciated King Abdullah’s proposals for forming a steering committee of representatives of all religions and faiths represented in the Madrid conference in July, and for allocating a trust fund to guarantee the autonomy of the dialogue process and its continuation free from any political interference. At the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, the General Assembly convened a plenary high level meeting during its sixty-third session on 12 and 13 November 2008 under item 45 Culture of Peace.

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, read out the following UN Declaration:
“At the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, the General Assembly convened a plenary high level meeting during its sixty-third session on 12 and 13 November 2008 under item 45 Culture of Peace.

“Concerned about serious instances of intolerance, discrimination, hatred expressions, and harassment of minority religious communities of all faiths, participating states underlined the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding, and tolerance among human beings, as well as respect for all their diverse religions, cultures and beliefs.

“Participating states affirmed their rejection of the use of religion to justify the killing of innocent people and actions of terrorism, violence and coercion, which directly contradict the commitment of all religions to peace, justice and equality.

“Taking note of the initiative of the King of Saudi Arabia and the World Conference on Dialogue held in Madrid between 16 and 18 July 2008 under his patronage and graciously hosted by the King and Government of Spain, the General Assembly reiterated its call for promoting a culture of tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue, and supporting the initiatives of religious leaders, civil society, and states seeking to entrench the culture of peace, understanding, tolerance, and respect for human rights among the proponents of various faiths, cultures, and civilizations.

“Participating states expressed their commitment to strengthening and supporting existing mechanisms within the United Nations for promoting tolerance and human rights, preserving the institution of the family, protecting the environment, spreading education, eradicating poverty, and fighting drug abuse, crime and terrorism, noting the positive role of religions, beliefs and moral humanitarian principles in tackling these challenges.”


NEW YORK – King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

Launch of British Hajj Delegation 2008

Launch of British Hajj Delegation 2008

Dr. Mozammel Haque

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has launched this year’s UK Hajj Delegation to Saudi Arabia, yesterday, Wednesday, the 12th of November 2008 from the Lancaster House, London, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, Lord Adam Patel and diplomats and other members of the Hajj Delegation, guests and community leaders. Twenty-five thousand UK Muslims will go this year to perform the annual pilgrimage in Makkah with the British government offering advice, support and medical care to its citizens going there. British Hajj Delegation is a team that will provide on the ground medical and consular support for British pilgrims attending the Hajj later this month.

British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, M.P.
The British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, M.P. said “There could not be a better example of 'people-to-people' diplomacy than the Hajj Delegation, I think it builds bridges, it builds links, and also sends a very strong message about the commitment we have to valuing our own Muslim citizens in valuing their heritage, making sure they're able to express their own religion in an open and tolerant way.”

David Miliband, M.P. also said, “I think the presence of twenty five thousand proud Britons on the Hajj Delegation as proud Muslims is a very important way of emphasizing those twin themes of diversity and unity that are so important.”

Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz,
Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Ireland, said, “We celebrate together the launch of the British Hajj Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj season.

“This special event of a great and deeply meaningful “Send off” for the British pilgrims is truly heartwarming and highly commendable. I believe that all Muslim will highly appreciate seeing similar events in other European countries,” said Prince Mohammed.

Speaking about the significance of Hajj, Prince Mohammed said, “During Hajj, millions of Muslims, from all over the world, gather in the same spots and at the same times, standing together on equal footing, and dressed as one. In this, Hajj is a true reflection of the exalted principles of equality, modesty and human brotherhood that are at the heart of Islam.”

“Hajj is an occasion where Muslims from all nations, races, countries and walks of life are endowed with a golden opportunity to know each other better and learn more about each other’s issues and concerns; thus emphasizing Islam’s teachings of compassion, cooperation, tolerance and caring for others. In short, Hajj is, by far, the most impressive manifestation of Islam’s cross-borders and cross-cultures nature, that is based on the equality of mankind in the eyes of God Almighty and aims for the good of all humanity,” the Saudi Ambassador mentioned.

The Saudi Ambassador also said, “In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we believe that God Almighty had truly blessed our nation with the honor and responsibility of being the custodians, stewards and servitors of Islam’s most sacred places; namely the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.”

Speaking about the recent development of the Haramain for the convenience of the Pilgrims, the Saudi Ambassador said, “Hardly a month passes by without a new project or a new service being launched to improve and care for the Holy places and, eventually, for the visitors to these places. As you are all well aware, each year, the Kingdom hosts more than two million Muslims who come from all over the world specifically to perform Hajj, in addition to several millions who visit the Holy places in Makkah and Madinah throughout the year.”

Mentioning about the development of the religious and holy sites, the Saudi Ambassador said, “It is no exaggeration to say that the moment one Hajj season ends, the authorities immediately begin working diligently in preparation for the next. For example, those who are leaving to the Holy Places with this blessed delegation will notice that the passage between Safa and Marwah – which the place for one of Hajj’s main rituals – is almost twice as spacious this year as it was last year. They will know that plans are already underway to significantly expand King Abd al-Aziz Airport in Jeddah and Prince Muhammad ibn Abd al-Aziz airport in Madinah.”

“Moreover, they will know of the Saudi Arabian Government’s plans to build a modern high-speed train system that connects the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah and other cities. And the list goes on and on…,” mentioned Prince Mohammed and added, “By launching all of these projects and services, the greatest reward the Kingdom looks for is to ensure that Hajj is performed properly and comfortably, and that pilgrims return home to their families safe, happy and fulfilled.”

The Saudi Ambassador also informed, “Out of approximately two million Muslims in the United Kingdom, about 50,000 British citizens, on average, performed Hajj or Umrah last year and the year before it. A similar or larger number expected this year. I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will do everything it can to ensure that the mission of the British Hajj Delegation is a successful one.”

Prince Mohammed expressed his “sincere thanks and appreciation to Her Majesty’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office – with special thanks to the Hajj Desk – for the invaluable support they extend annually to the British Hajj Delegation; thus enabling it to travel to Saudi Arabia and play a significant role in looking after the welfare of the British Muslim pilgrims.”

The Prince also praised “the efforts of the Hajj Desk in producing and distributing thousands of leaflets that provide ‘Advice to British Hajjis’ – a very comprehensive and practical guide to the pilgrims” and expressed “thanks to all members of the Hajj Advisory Group and its Chairman, Lord Adam Patel, who has proven himself to be instrumental in the success of his group and the British Hajj Delegations throughout the years.”

The Saudi Ambassador also expressed thanks and appreciation to the Director of the Islamic Cultural Centre, Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, to all of his staff and to the heads and staff of other Islamic centres for their invaluable efforts and the great work they have done, and continue to do.”
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Praising the British Hajj Delegation, the Saudi Ambassador said, “The British Hajj Delegation has become a model for others to follow; due to its highly organized planning and effective execution on the ground.”

“Undoubtedly, the support offered by the British Government to the Hajj Delegation is a clear example of the high level of care and attention it gives to British Muslims at all times and in all fields, as an integral part of this country’s demographic combination,” mentioned the Saudi Ambassador and added, “This – as reflected in real life – strengthens British Muslims sense of belonging as citizens of this great country and re-enforces their commitment and dedication to the wellbeing and development of their communities and country as a whole.”

The Saudi Ambassador wished the “British Hajj Delegation, and all British Muslims who are performing Hajj this year, a safe journey, a blissful visit to the Holy places, an accepted Hajj and a safe return to their homes and loves ones.”.

Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn
Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, the Leader of the British Hajj Delegation, said, “The British Hajj Delegation is a unique consular project and builds on work already undertaken by the FCO to support large movements of British citizens abroad, such as the World Cup. This aims and objectives of the delegation demonstrate clearly the commitment of the FCO to diversity and supporting British citizens abroad.”

“There are many countries with much larger Muslim populations, such as the USA, France and Germany. Yet they do not provide their citizens with this level of support. As far as I know only France and Germany send representatives from their Embassy’s to provide support in emergencies,” said the leader of the British Hajj Delegation.

“I cannot stress enough that these preventive measures result in great savings to the NHS (in early diagnosis) and employers (less time of work). It is estimated that over one million pounds are saved every year…We have now supported over 25,000 people over the last 9 years,” said Lord Patel and added, “This year the delegation will again comprise of 9 doctors (including a female GP) and 3 consular officials. This is in addition to support from consular officials in Jeddah and Riyadh.”

Speaking about the success of the delegation, Lord Patel, who is leading the British Hajj Delegation for the ninth year, informed, “In advance of the Hajj taking place the FCO along with the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) run an extensive campaign to inform pilgrims what they should look for when arranging a Hajj package so that they are properly protected if things go wrong on their Hajj.”

“This year, a number of meetings have been held with BERR and ATOL officials with members of the public to discuss a range of problems that are encountered during the Hajj and also Umrah,” mentioned Lord Patel and added, “One of the outcomes of these meetings is to form a co-coordinating committee with ATOL, BEER, FCO, UK tour operators and businesses to make recommendations to ensure the Hajj pilgrimage is as trouble free as possible for British citizens. I look forward to your support in this crucial area of work.”

Finally, the leader of the British Hajj Delegation expressed his “thanks to the Saudi government, Ministry of Hajj, Dr. Al-Dubayan and officials at the Saudi Embassy for the vital role they play in supporting the work of the delegation.”

The Second Islamic Finance and Trade Conference in London

The Second Islamic Finance and
Trade Conference in London

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Two-days Second Islamic Finance and Trade Conference (IFTC), sponsored by International Holdings, Jadwa Bank, MAIC, UEM and Islam Channel and supported by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Islamic Development Bank, the City of London, the Department of UK Trade & Investment and the World Islamic Economic Forum, was held at Park Plaza Victoria, London on 28 and 29 October 2008.

Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, M.P.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, M.P. said, “I represent a constituency with a very large Muslim community – one third of the population of Blackburn, in fact, are followers of the Islamic faith. It is also a great pleasure to speak to such an illustrious group of people – leading figures across the worlds of finance, business and academia – and to support a conference which is furthering the important aim of making the United Kingdom “the gateway to Islamic finance and trade”.

Speaking about the relationship between Islam and Britain, Lord Chancellor said, “The relationship between Islam and Britain is not a new one; this country has been greatly enriched over the course of centuries by the Muslim history and heritage and by its learned and vibrant culture. Chaucer refers to Islamic scholars and physicians in the prologue to his Canterbury Tales as early as 1386:

“With us there was a doctor of physic;In all this world was none like him to pickFor talk of medicine and surgery; …
Well read was he in Esculapius,And Deiscorides, and in Rufus,Hippocrates, and Hali, and Galen,Serapion, Rhazes, and Avicen, …”

“But an even earlier connection – with a financial connotation – between Islam and Britain exists in the form of a gold coin displayed not far from here in the British Museum. The coin dates back to the 8th century and to the reign of King Offa of Mercia. Because of what were believed to be good trade relations between this country and the Islamic nations of the East, the coin contains both the mark of England – “There is no deity but God, without partners” – and an Arabic inscription of the shahadah – the first pillar of Islam,” mentioned the Secretary of State for Justice.

Speaking about the Islamic faith in Britain, Lord Chancellor said, “The Islamic faith is also now a vital and established part of British life. Islam is the second largest and the fastest growing religion in the UK, and British people are, more than ever before, enjoying and experiencing its religious and cultural traditions.”

Speaking about the contribution of the British Muslim community, the Secretary of State for Justice said, “One of the most important contributions of the Muslim community – indeed, to the tune of over £31 billion each year, by some estimates – is to our financial sector and economy.”

“This Government is proud to have supported the development of the Islamic finance sector ever since 2003, when we first began to work towards establishing a level tax and regulatory playing field between conventional and Islamic finance. That same year, Howard Davies – then chair of the newly created Financial Services Authority – invited an audience of Middle East bankers to discuss the establishment of an Islamic bank in this country. As a result of this and the hard work of some in the audience, the first branch of the Islamic Bank of Britain opened in 2004 in Birmingham,” mentioned Jack Straw, M.P.

Lord Chancellor also said, “We have made significant progress since then; most obviously with the fundamental reform of stamp duty to facilitate Islamic mortgages and the extension of relief on those mortgages to companies as well as individuals. But also by introducing measures to remove barriers for other Sharia-compliant products and by addressing tax and regulatory issues so as to encourage the issuance of sukuk.”

Mentioning about the effects, the Secretary of State for justice said, “Islamic finance is now one of the most innovative financial service sectors in the UK. There are now five standalone Islamic banks, and over 20 conventional banks with Sharia compliant windows. A number of sukuk have been listed on the London Stock Exchange. And London has established itself as a major global hub for Islamic finance and the key centre in the Western world.”

Speaking about the Islamic Finance and Trade in the United Kingdom, Straw, M.P. said, “We, as a Government are committed to developing still further Islamic trade and finance in the United Kingdom. This is partly – of course – because we want this country to benefit from the many opportunities Islamic trade and finance afford. We see much to gain from this – for London, in reinforcing its reputation as the leading financial centre in the world, and for the United Kingdom as a whole, in making our economy stronger and our financial services more competitive.”

Speaking about the contribution Islamic finance world has to make, Jack Straw, M.P. said, “I was talking just before with colleagues about the important contribution the Islamic finance world has to make in redeveloping our institutions – to ensure that our financial instruments are asset based. But benefit to the economy – enormously important though it is, particularly in the prevailing economic circumstances – is not the sole basis for our commitment to Islamic finance and trade. It is also because we consider that everyone in the UK ought to have access to financial services which suit their faith, regardless of their faith.”

The Secretary of State for Justice said that there are “something worth repeating: British and Muslim are complementary not contradictory. The most eloquent, living proof of this is in the people that are here this afternoon – and in those who will shortly be accepting the esteemed Islamic Finance Awards. British Muslims are where Britain and Islam intersect. Celebrating their success is the best way of showing that these two identities can and do thrive in the same place, in the same person, in the same country.”

“I have spoken about Sharia compliant products. I now want to say a word about Sharia more widely. Because the same thinking which underpins our approach to both. Of course those who live in this country will always be governed by English law and will be subject to the jurisdiction of English or Scottish courts,” the Lord Chancellor said and added, “But given the fact that speculation abounds on this point, let me say once again: There is nothing whatever in English law that prevents people abiding by Sharia principles if they wish to, provided they do not come into conflict with English law. There is no question about that. But English law will always remain supreme, and religious councils subservient to it.”

While concluding his speech, the Secretary of State for Justice, said, “It is the very diversity of Britain – and the opportunities afforded to everyone – which underpins our success, our dynamism and what makes so many individuals and families want to settle here. Our policies in relation to Islamic finance and trade, like our policies across the board, must continue to promote that diversity.”

Straw, M.P. also said, “This Government’s commitment to embracing Islamic finance and trade also derives from the fact that it is a way of forging links between countries and building relationships between peoples across the world. A way of reminding us that there is far, far more that unites than divides us.”

“I would like to finish where I began, by paying tribute to the vital contribution of Muslims to life in the United Kingdom, not least in terms of Islamic trade and finance. I am enormously admiring of your achievements, your successes, and of the way you use your talent and your time in service of the broader community,” concluded the Secretary of State for Justice.

Stephen Timms, M.P.
The Labour M.P. for East Ham, Stephen Timms, made some points from his standpoint as a Minister in the Treasury at the Muslim Council of Britain’s Second Islamic Finance and Trade Conference. “At the first conference, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown underlined his goal that London should be the world centre for Islamic finance – and we have made good progress since then. It is a goal which is even more important in a period of turbulence in the world economy like the one we are in at the moment,” Stephen Timms mentioned.

The Labour M.P. for East Ham said, “We are already the West’s major centre for Islamic finance. 18 sukuk have been listed in London, worth some $13 billion between them. We have five dedicated Islamic banks, and over twenty conventional banks that offer Islamic financial services. There are more banks in Britain offering Islamic finance than in the whole of the rest of Western Europe put together. Around the world, Islamic finance assets have been growing at a rate of almost 20% per year since 2000 – and are now worth perhaps $700 billion worldwide.”

“Over the past five years we have made a series of reforms to establish a level playing field – in tax and regulation – between conventional and Islamic finance. There has been real progress, enabling development of genuinely competitive Sharia’ compliant mortgages, Individual Savings Accounts and Child Trust Funds,” Timms, M.P. said and added, “We have been looking at the potential of the Government offering its own, sterling-denominated, sovereign sukuk. We will be providing an update on progress at the Pre-Budget Report in a few weeks time.”

The Labour M.P. for East Ham also mentioned, “Before the end of the year, arising from our work with the Islamic Finance Experts Group, we will be publishing a document with UK Trade and Investment, setting out clearly the UK Government’s future approach to Islamic finance, and focusing attention on what needs to be done to make further progress. We have in Britain community and commitment; skills and scale; expertise and connections around the world. It’s an opportunity that we want to see realised for the benefit of Britain as a whole – strengthening London’s position as – not just one of the world’s leading financial centres – but as the world centre.”

Sir Iqbal Sacranie
Earlier, while opening the Islamic Finance and Trade Conference, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the chair of the Advisory Group for the Islamic Finance and Trade Conference, said, “ The IFTC was launched in 2006 when the then Chancellor of the Exchequer and present Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, M.P. set a challenge to make Britain the gateway to Islamic Finance and Trade. This has remained at the heart of our aims and objectives for this initiative.”

Speaking about the purpose of the IFTC, Sir Iqbal said, “The primary purpose of this platform is to promote, enhance and expand the trading relationships between the UK and Muslim countries. We do this in order to attract inward investment for Britain whilst creating business opportunities for our trading partners in Muslim countries. The result of which, we believe, will be to generate prosperity for both. Seeking international solutions to the current financial crisis, “This requires a global framework for managing our economies and setting up international rules and regulations for finance and trade. It is only right that British Muslims be offered an opportunity to contribute to the establishment of such frameworks.”

“We believe that cross-fertilisation of ideas of people of diverse backgrounds and experiences offer us the best chance of discovering the most effective solutions to the challenges we face today. With a growth rate of 15% per annum, Islamic finance has been attracting some of the best minds and leading experts from the financial and banking community in the last few years,” said Sir Iqbal and added, “This conference will debate how we can build a more stable world economy. We call upon all delegates to contribute to this exciting agenda and help face the challenges of the future.”

Sir Iqbal also said, “The Islamic principles that govern trade and finance seek to promote investment and unlock cash flow. As a result of recent rise in oil prices there has been a significant increase in the liquidity of many Muslim countries.”

“London, with its unique reputation and unrivalled expertise in structuring customized financial transactions for a diverse range of clients has the ability to unlock the potential of this increased liquidity through Islamic finance. The IFTC is not a place to only talk business but to do business,” noted Sir Iqbal.

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari
Mentioning about the contribution of two million strong British Muslim community, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), said, “The IFTC is but another demonstration of what Muslims are doing to contribute to the wellbeing of our nation. In this gathering of investment bankers, lawyers, policy makers and business people we hope to create new partnerships and strengthen existing ones between the UK and Muslim countries.”

Dr. AbdulBari hopes the Second IFTC (Islamic Finance & Trade Conference) “will serve to rekindle interest in the nascent Islamic finance provision which has started in this country over the last few years. The government has pledged to provide a level playing field for Islamic financial products and the emerging framework for their provision in the UK will serve as a solid starting point.”

Referring to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Dr. AbdulBari expressed his happiness that “The IFTC organizers have found areas where Islamic financial products can potentially be utilised to help actualize the 2012 Games, despite the credit crunch.”

“I am confident that this initiative will serve us all well. I am also hopeful that the broader debate on Islamic finance and trade during the two days of the IFTC will be followed up by meaningful co-operation by participants to help us chart our way out of the present financial crisis,” concluded Dr. AbdulBari.

Launch of National Hajj Awareness

Launch of National Hajj Awareness
Week at House of Lords

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, Patron of the Association of British Hujjaj (ABH) launched the National Hajj Awareness Week at the House of Lords on Wednesday, the 22 October 2008. The launch was attended by Lord Hunt, deputy leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action, Hazzaa Hasher, in Charge of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Embassy, representatives from the Department of CAA, Department of BERR, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), diplomats, community leaders and journalists.

Lord Ahmed

While launching the Hajj Awareness Week, Lord Ahmed mentioned some of the achievements of the ABH: 25,000 British Muslims go for Hajj every year and many thousands do Umrah and there was a need for British Muslims facilities not only consular advice but more important health advice and other kind of advice which is now available in Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat and particularly in Makkah.

While thanking the British government, Lord Ahmed said, “It was our government, the British government which is pioneer in this particular field that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office at that time under the leadership of Baroness Symonds who first established this service for the British Hujjaj. Now Muslim staffs from the Consular Office in Jeddah actually go to Mina, Muzdalifa, Arafat and Makkah to provide not only No Objection Certificate (NOC) to those people who die by natural causes in these places but also provide other kinds of support when people lose their documents, they need financial help or any medical help required.

Lord Ahmed also said, “This is very important that we held this event in this Parliament every year but this also sent a message to the entire British communities that there is somebody who cares in terms of providing facilities for Muslims who was there on Hajj. The most important is the documents they need; our communities are not usually organised and usually forget that we need meningitis, jabs, we also need to make sure that health and safety aspects. But even now we have these rogue travel agents that have been operating since last year.”

The department of BERR has organised seminars and they have taken some action. Lord Ahmed said, “They are sending the message across the Trading Standard that if anyone is involved with any of that corruption again or any of that mismanagement again they will be prosecuted and they will not be allowed to get away with taking money from the British Hujjaj.”

Referring to Saudi Arabia, Lord Ahmed said, “Saudi government is helping to make those facilities the best possible and I say thank you to the Saudi authorities. When we had influx of 50,000 refugees from Bosnia and Kosovo and we had to make arrangements, we were in a chaos. And here you have made arrangements for three million people. Sometimes things are not so easy but most of the times things do work out well. We want to say thank again to them.”

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action, said, “I am here to learn today. It is extremely important subject; it is something I am getting letter and email every year from people who travel for Hajj and Umrah and the difficulties they face and the concerns they have. And I think that in terms of my own brief, in terms of Community Cohesion and Social Action, it is absolutely essential that I understand this area and understand it well. I hope it will be going to be a learning exercise.”

Lord Hunt

Lord Hunt, deputy leader of the House of Lords and Minister of Environment and Rural Affairs, who have been attending and giving speeches from the very beginning of the ABH, said, “The ABH have done a lot of efforts and energy into the health awareness campaign. It’s not something that stops after a few meeting; it’s a continuous round the year effort and I do on behalf of the government thank you for all the work that you have done. I have no doubt that it is hugely beneficial impact on pilgrims and on the health and safety aspects of the pilgrimage that they have undertaken. “

While mentioning about the travel agents, Lord Hunt said, “When I went to the meeting in Birmingham which must have been in last autumn I was struck by the report of the pilgrims and some of their concerns about the travel agents and some of the issues that were raised. I said then and I say again to you that if any help that I can in terms of discussion with government about these issues I am very keen and anxious to help you.”

Stephen Gregory
Mr. Stephen Gregory, from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spoke on behalf of the CAA, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), Trading Standards, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government. “They are considering the issues affecting Hajj pilgrims and to jointly agree initiatives and actions with the aim to improving business awareness of consumer protection regulations, as well as consumer awareness of their rights,” said Gregory.

Mr. Gregory also mentioned, “We are currently involved in a series of Seminars around the UK to raise awareness levels of both Pilgrims attending Hajj and Tour Operators. We have already seen an increase in the number of Hajj specialists applying for ATOLs and we now estimate that around 12,000 pilgrims are protected under the ATOL system, which ids approximately 50% of the UK market worth around £35M a year. We still have a way to go but things are improving.”

It is also mentioned that in July, Gareth Thomas hosted a summit at BEERR for Travel organisers to give them the opportunity hear more about the responsibilities placed on them and to share their views with us on how they believe the Hajj travel industry can improve its reputation and achieve greater levels of consumer confidence.

Officials from BERR and ATOL are currently attending and giving talks at some local regional meetings of pilgrims during October and November.

Finally,. We would encourage you to advise any pilgrims you came across to bring all cases of wrong-doing by Hajj tour organisers to the attention of their Local Authority Trading Standards Department. However, any accusations or threats of dire consequences or bullying where a consumer has suggested they might bring these cases to the attention of the authorities should be brought to the attention of the police.

In reply to Questions & Answers session, Hazzaa Al-Hasher of the Saudi Embassy, said, “We welcome Hujjaj and we wish them to perform Hajj and come back home safely. I am making it clear that The Saudi embassy does not charge fees for Visa or any other services. If somebody charge fees for visa, they are cheating.”

An Interview with Lord Ahmed
Lord Ahmed told me in an interview, “First of all, let me pray for long life and good health for the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, because he has done fantastic improvements already in the Haram, first of all, in Safa and Marwah and also in Mina as well and the greater arrangements that has been made. This will make Hajj easier for the Hujjaj. Already Saudi Government for many years, late King Fahd, may Allah bless him and give him the highest place in Jannah (Heaven), made fantastic arrangements and also extended the facilities and therefore we are getting the facilities which have now being created will never have the kind of accidents or sort of mishaps that have happened in the past, only small one.”

Lord Ahmed also said, “The Government of Saudi Arabia has really being providing fantastic facilities. We know that in Western Europe when we have influx of 50,000 refugees from Kosovo and Balkans we had great difficulties in dealing with it and to say a temporary arrangement for two and a half million people is made in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat. It is almost impossible task fir many many western countries and for Saudi Arabia to provide such good facilities in providing infrastructure, food, healthcare and providing of this great facility of making people relax and pray to Allah the Almighty. Well, I only say thank you them but also pray for their success.”

An Interview with Hazzaa Hasher
Mr. Hazzaa Al-Hasher, In charge of Islamic Affairs, the Saudi Embassy in London told me in an interview, “First of all we are willing to listen and to address all the concerns of the British Hujjaj. Our concern is that the British Hujjaj go to Makkah al-Mukarramah and perform Hajj and come back safely to their country.”

As regard Rogue Travel Agents, Mr. Al-Hashar said, “We always said and advised people to go to the well-known registered travel agent and to have the contract written with them of the services they promised. We also told that Hajj and Umrah visa is free. We do not charge fees for visa or services.”

Mr. Al-Hasher emphasized, “Visa and services are free; if anybody is charging fees they are cheated.”