4500 Saudi Graduates from the Universities of the UK & Eire

King Abdullah’s Scholarship Program:
4500 Saudi graduated from the UK and Eire

Dr. Mozammel Haque

4500 Saudis graduated from the Universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland under the King Abdullah’s Scholarship Program. Since the start of the Foreign Scholarship Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques seven years ago, this Scholarship Program has been carried out so far in more than thirty countries worldwide. More than one hundred thousand male and female scholarship recipients have been sent all over the world. More than 16,000 Saudis are studying in the Universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland under this Scholarship Program and 4500 graduated this year out of which 2,000 Saudi graduates, both male and female, took part at the Second Annual Graduation Ceremony.

At the Second Graduation Ceremony, organised by the Saudi Cultural Bureau, London and sponsored by the Al-Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University Riyadh, was held at the Excel Exhibition Centre, London. This Ceremony was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom & Ireland, Professor Ghazi bin Abdul Wahid Al-Makki, Saudi Cultural Attache in the United Kingdom and Ireland and Professor Sulaiman bin Abdallah Abalkhail, Rector of the University of Al-Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, Riyadh and official sponsor of the Second Graduation Ceremony and the Career Day of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah’s Scholarship Program.

Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Angari
Addressing the graduates of the Scholarship recipients of the King Abdullah’s Scholarship Program in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Saudi Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Angari said in his speech which was delivered by Professor Al-Makki: “Honouring this class of graduates of the Program as well as other classes of graduates in the rest of the world is not unusual in the history of this great entity, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For its rulers have always showed us how much attention they have given education and the honour they have bestowed upon science and scientists since the establishment of this proud entity, whose light had shined in 1932, to announce the establishment of the greatest Arab unity in modern times.”

The Minister also mentioned that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also realized that the process of transition to a knowledge society can only be achieved as a result of the economic and social contribution of higher education, and the commitment to follow in the footsteps of contemporary scientific progress worldwide, and to make a positive contribution in the orbit of globalization with its educational dimension.

Since the start of the Foreign Scholarship Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques seven years ago, this Scholarship Program has been carried out so far in more than thirty countries worldwide. More than one hundred thousand male and female scholarship recipients have been sent all over the world. This fact confirms, the Minister Al-Angari said, that the Kingdom has been able to meet some requirements necessary for growth and prosperity, and in all honesty, consistent with its urgent needs.

A large number of recipients of the Saudi male and female studying in universities and scientific research centres in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This reflects undoubtedly, the Minister pointed out, - in the best way - the extent to which the Saudi – British relations have developed, which extend over eight decades of common interests and close cooperation in all fields.

The Minister maintained, This Scholarship Program is a program of real change, which balances between the constants derived from our true religion and our ambitions, so that our beloved Kingdom will occupy a prominent position it deserves among nations.

The Minister also pointed out that “our enlightened leadership has realized with its conscious insight that building the future of our dear country is embodied in education open to all civilizations of the world, and never hesitated to do so regardless of the cost in efforts and material support.”

Finally, the Minister reminded the graduates of their responsibilities and the expectations of their dedication at the service of the homeland of their parents and grandparents and also reminded them that obtaining their diplomas and the academic recognition is only a phase which allows them a chance, in the future, to express in practice their true love for their country, contribute to its advancement and progress, and be loyal to their parents and families.

Professor Sulaiman Abalkhail
This gigantic project offered the opportunity to tens of thousands of male and female students to continue their higher education in the most prestigious universities in the world. Congratulating the graduation of a new batch of students of this program, Professor Sulaiman Abalkhail, Rector of the Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, said, “You are the vanguards of our modern renaissance, whose march is being led by the just builder, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.”

Professor Abalkhail also said, “You form an integral part of a comprehensive development project, initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, May God Protect him, thanks to his profound vision - with you, for you are at its origin, its most important component, as the human development is the most important in the building process as well as in the development and modernization project, so that our country will reach the rank of developed nations.”

Professor Abalkhail also said, “These students are the most precious thing we have. They are the hope of our present and future. Celebrating their success and honoring their achievement is a tribute to the homeland and the citizen. I would also like to remind them to thank those whom the credit of their success is due. Should one fail to acknowledge people’s credit would be failing to acknowledge God’s credit.”

Professor Abalkhail reminded the graduates to fear God Almighty in secret and in public, and to carefully bear the trust, duty, and loyalty to your country, and to harness what you have learned at the service of your country. Your country needs you; and its development is ambitious. The leadership is looking forward to you to play your part in the advancement of your country and the contribution to its development using your ideas and knowledge.

Earlier, two graduates, male and female, spoke on the occasion and said, “Our country which gave us opportunities to continue our education and enabled us to study and research to achieve our ambitions does deserve all our praise the return of the favour to give and contribute to its renaissance, advancement and the continuing of its march towards more development.”

They also pledged, “We promise God and then promise our home country to do what we can to pay off the debt, which surrounds our necks. This means that we join in the fields of employment or continue to pursue higher degrees of learning and self-development for our dear country and our good people are expecting so much from us. So please pray for us.”

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz
Declaring the Graduation Ceremony a milestone in the history of the Foreign Scholarship Program of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz mentioned “The number had increased back then to over six hundred males and female graduates.”

While celebrating the reaping the first fruits of this futuristic and ambitious program, Prince Mohammed mentioned that the number of male and female graduates of this batch has increased eight fold, reaching more than four thousand five hundred graduates who have obtained all university degrees, in disciplines and areas whose number is by far higher than I can count in this speech.

Prince Mohammed also mentioned that it is an auspicious gathering of the citizens of Saudi Arabia who specialized in all academic fields and obtained diplomas, earning recognition and excellence awards and thereby they became a source of pride for their fellow countrymen and homeland

The Saudi Ambassador said that the members of this gathering will participate, God Willing, in “incarnating a far-reaching, futuristic, and leading vision” held by the leader with an open-minded insight, King Abdullah. The Ambassador also pointed out. “He implemented this vision by relying on the sons and daughters of his country to uphold, through their faith and academic knowledge, the nation-building process and continue the durable and comprehensive development for long decades to come.”

Prince Mohammad said, “I do not think that there is a more since expression of my wishes than to personally attend this event where we are celebrating the graduation of more than four thousand and five hundred distinguished minds refined by the highest and most academic disciplines.”

“More than four thousand and five hundred hearts filled with allegiance to him and his wise leadership and with love and aspiration to all that can make our beloved country develop and progress. These graduates proved their determination during their stay in foreign countries to overcome all obstacles standing in the way of their hopes to achieve their common goal in acquiring knowledge,” Said Prince Mohammed.

Speaking about this Foreign Scholarship Program of King Abdullah, the Saudi Ambassador mentioned that “it represents a distinct initiative which embodies the vision of our wise leadership and its sharp vision, which considers that the progress of the homeland and the citizen can only be achieved through an enlightened education, based on accurate balance between the cultural, intellectual, and moral constants and the modern scientific, economic and social leaps, coupled at the same time, with an openness to the world’s cultures and civilizations.”

“This vision is a reflection of the idea of building the Saudi citizen on the basis of solid scientific and moral foundations. This idea was and continues to be a top priority for our wise leadership since the era of the founding father. An idea that led our wise leadership to consider education, in general, and higher education, in particular, to be one of the most important pillars of sustainable development and real progress of our country,” pointed out by the Saudi Ambassador.

The Saudi Ambassador also reminded the graduates that this is only the beginning of a more important stage with far-reaching implications, where your country, leadership and parents expect you to serve your country and the entire world with all the skills and knowledge you have acquired.

In this regard, the Saudi Ambassador also reminded the words of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, in the Sahih: “On the day of judgement, the feet of a faithful will not leave their place before God asks him about four…” He mentioned among them, peace be upon him: “He will be asked about what he did with his knowledge.” Although acquiring knowledge and excelling in it are sources of pride the individual can commended for, the real source of pride is when an individual can make all people benefit from the fruits of this knowledge.”

The Saudi Ambassador mentioned that the saga of construction continues in our country with the same high pattern as it started. He said, “you can continue the march initiated by your fathers with the founding leader by holding their hands put what you have learned into practice in all areas, and to continue the march of comprehensive sustainable development throughout the Kingdom and for each of its citizens, so your Kingdom w ill remain a country of pride, dignity, prosperity, development and well-being for all citizens all over the country. Go ahead with the blessing and protection of God Almighty.”

Prince Mohammed concluded his speech, quoting the Words of God Almighty: “Praise be to Allah Who guided us to this and we were to guide us for the fact that guided us”, then ask him, glorified and exalted, that saves us our precious, cherished of God, and our wise leadership, endorsed by God, and that sustains us the blessing security and safety, and always brings us together for good.”

Duke of Kent Visits British Museum Hajj Exhibition

Duke of Kent visits the Hajj Exhibition
An Absolutely Extraordinary Exhibits

Dr. Mozammel Haque

His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, visited the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, on Monday, the 5th of March, 2012. He was received and welcomed along with other guests by His Excellency, Faisal bin Abdurrahman bin Muammar, Supervisor General of the King Abdulaziz Public Library, Riyadh, to the exhibition, “Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam”.

Last Monday’s event was one of the events during this exhibition: Hajj: A Journey to the Heart of Islam, organised by King Abdulaziz Public Library of Riyadh, the aim of which is, of course, to bring some guests, the VIP people to the exhibition which is very important. Again it’s a chance and opportunity to introduce more knowledge about Hajj, Makkah and Madinah.

At the reception organised by the King Abdulaziz Public Library at the British Museum, Mr. Neil Macgregor, the Director of the British Museum expressed his thanks to the King Abdul Aziz Public Library Riyadh. He said, “We are extremely keen to present to the public the experience of Hajj, the one which the non-Muslims are not to be a party but to experience which are captured in exhibits.”

There was excellent response from the public. Within the few weeks since the exhibition has been opened already 60,000 visitors came and visited with the enthusiastic interests, said the Director of the British Museum.

Welcoming the guests and Duke of Kent, HE Faisal said, “Saudi Arabia is proud to host the largest annual gathering for peace and love among humans to perform the ritual of the Hajj and to get closer to God on the plains of Blessed Makkah and the holy places.”

He also mentioned about initiative of King Abdullah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques who initiated important initiative of interfaith dialogue three years ago for the followers of different religions and cultures to come closer to each other.

Dr. Faisal said this exhibition make visitors observe the civilization, tolerance, and culture of Islam and gives them an opportunity to know the significance of the Hajj and its contribution to mutual knowledge and understanding, brotherhood and affection among Muslims of various races, cultures and nations.”

“We share a lot of things with other religions,” said Dr. Faisal and added, “600 million Muslims pray five times a day facing the Qibla and in their prayers they ask God for peace and love for the Muslims and the non-Muslims in Europe and the people throughout the world and also to teach the new generation of the Message of Islam.”

Kwasi Kwarteng, MP from Spelthorne
The reception at the Hajj Exhibition was visited by many Members of Parliament besides the community leaders and dignitaries. I had the opportunity to interview some of them. Conservative Party Member of Parliament from Spelthorne, South West London, Kwasi Kwarteng, MP, observed, “This Hajj Exhibition is very well presented, very clearly presented. The most interesting information to mention is some of the artefacts astonishing, the Mahmal and the great silk objects, the ceramics, beautiful writings and calligraphy. It is very impressive. I think it will promote much deeper appreciation of Islam among people who are not familiar with Islamic culture and Muslim religion.”

Sheryll Murray, MP for South East Cornwall
Another Member of Parliament from the Conservative Party for South East Cornwall, Sheryll Murray, MP, observed, “I think this exhibition is fascinating and I think it is a good thing that non-Muslim like myself can come and see it. It sets out very clearly and I feel very very privileged to have had the experience and I think it will create much better understanding for people like me and I think it is just really really a good thing for relations between the different religions. I think it is superb.”

Rehman Chishti, MP, for Gillingham and Rainham
Another Conservative Member of Parliament for Gillingham and Rainham, Rehman Chishti, MP, observed, “It is a truly fascinating experience to be here today to see the first hand the values and the virtues of the Hajj, the importance of the Hajj, what it means to a Muslim and the history and the journey they set out for so many centuries. I think the Saudi government and the Saudi Embassy and everyone has done a great job by bringing that experience into London so people of all different faiths and all different backgrounds can experience this fascinating journey which of course it is.”

BBC journalist, James Robbins
I met BBC journalist, James Robbins, who has been a diplomatic correspondent for the BBC since January 1998 and is currently based in London. I enquired his experience and comment on the Hajj Exhibition. Mr. Robbins said, “It is an extraordinary exhibition to me because it has told me a huge amount about Hajj which I don’t know and some of the basic things but I did not know the complexity of Hajj.”

He also said, “It reminded me, I suppose, of the facts that so many Muslims make this incredible journey had done for centuries. I mean behind this there is an explanation how earlier pilgrims used to walk about the whole of Africa and I think from the west of Africa which they can carry travelling and sailing boats across towards the holy places and I think that’s remarkable.”

Mr. Robbins also observed, “The exhibition also told me about the tolerance between religions. There is very interesting map to an Englishman like me which Queen Mary Tudor, a Roman Catholic, had made in 1555, the middle of the 16th century, which actually shows, Madinah Makkah which actually representation of the most of the holy places but showing the cathedral because I was born Christian like her would have understood holy places. But what I found really interesting nations in the atlas from 1555 this was where it was written in the book where Saracens went on pilgrimage rather it explained as Christians would go to Rome.”

Mr. Robbins also observed, “I suppose more than anything what it actually reminds me anyway is of the commonness, the co-existence, and the shared heritage of the Abrahamic faiths. Abrahim is absolutely central to the Christian faith Christianity, to Judaism and to Islam and there are subtle variations what the different Abrahamic faiths believe. But the central truth and the central underlying moralities are very similar. I think for me that is the most interesting experience but also just sheer beauty in the exhibits. It is very striking that how much care individual human beings have taken over centuries to make great works of arts. They have in all religions; people dwell in great works of arts in Christianity as in Islam.”

Mr. Scott Young, diabetic charity fundraiser
Mr. Scott Young, Diabetic Charity Fundraiser, said, “I think it is absolutely extraordinary exhibit. Looking at pieces like this you can see the devotion and spiritual commitment of people to create wonderful piece of art because of their faith even though there is no monetary reward, there is not even a reward of fame; there is only the reward of being a peace with your God your Allah and that’s very impressive to me today.”

HRH Prince Salman bin Mohammed bin Nawaf
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Mohammed bin Nawaf said, “I just wanted to emphasize the importance of such an event for the understanding of people and their religion, particularly Islam. Exhibition like this is very important because we have seen that many many people have been coming in and seeing the Hajj Exhibition. They want to come and want to see what makes three million people, even more, to come to the Hajj. The answer for that is simply its faith, its imaan, the belief in the Qur’an al-Kareem, belief in the Kitab Allah, the belief in religion and also the belief in the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). All these together bring them to the Hajj.”

Kiswa of Ka’aba
HRH Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent also visited and watched the demonstration of the preparation of Kiswa, the cloth that covers the Ka’aba. The Kiswa was first introduced during the pre-Islamic era.

When Makkah was taken by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Muslims first decided to leave the Kiswa as it was but later on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) draped the Ka’aba with a white Yemeni Cloth. From the very early time, during the Ummayyads, Abbasids and Osmania period, Muslim Caliphs and Sultans who reigned the Islamic world used to send their gift of Kiswa and during these whole period, Kiswa went through so many changes, from cotton to silk, white to black, new kiswa every year instead of “Accumulation Kiswa” (putting new one on the older one).

The colour of Kiswa kept changing during the reigns of different Caliphs and rulers. During the Abbasid period, Caliphs Al-Mamun and Al-Nasir covered the Ka’aba three times a year, each time with a different colour, white, red and green and later on, they switched to black and it remains so till today.

The founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, for the first time established a factory in Makkah for manufacturing the Kiswa of the Ka’aba in 1926. It took more than 100 craftsmen the whole year to weave the cloth on ancient handlooms and to embroider it in magnificent calligraphy. A new Kiswa is made every year by Saudis who work at the factory. The Holy Makkah is given a new Kiswa or covering annually on the 9th day of Zil-Hijja. The kiswa is wrapped around the Ka’aba and fixed to the ground with copper rings.

The black Kiswa is made with 670 kg of pure silk, and 150 kg of gold and silver thread that is used for sewing the Qur’anic verses. It is 658 square meters in size and consists of 47 pieces, each 14 meters long and 95 cm wide. It costs about SR16.8 million ($4.5 million).

Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan
In an interview with me, Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London told me, “Covering the Ka’aba actually started during the pre-Islamic period, before Islam. Some Arabs thought it needs to be covered because this building is holy; but the coverage changed into cotton, then they changed it into white cotton and then they changed it again in centuries with black because black actually looks better.”

“It used to come from Egypt, sometimes from Syria. It was one of the many presents sent with money from Egypt, Syria, sometimes from Yemen and Morocco to be presented to the poor people in Makkah and Madinah. It was only during the period of King Abdul Aziz who changed this system” said Dr. Dubayan and added, “King Abdul-Aziz started to establish factory for the Kiswa of Ka’aba in Makkah. Every year it has to change. They use cotton, black silk and dye the silk with black colour and after that they of course embroidered that with gold and silk.”

Seminar on the Life of the Prophet peace be upon him and the UMO under Dr. Pasha

Seminar on the Life of the Prophet
(PBUH) and the UMO under Dr. Pasha

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Born in an aristocratic Syed family of Madras, brought up in a country where Muslims are minority and having basic Islamic education at home, Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha developed an ideological commitment, a conviction and mission to which he remained firm, unchangeable and unyielding till his death. He had a solid grounding to understand the importance of Dawah work to live peacefully and harmoniously with his cultural and religious identity.

This understanding became more effective and operative when he went to the United States of America for higher studies where he obtained SJD (Doctorate in Juridical Science) equivalent to Ph.D. in the United Kingdom. But when he came to the United Kingdom, the first thing he thought essential is to bring unity within the Muslim communities. But he also realised that to establish peace and harmony in a multicultural country like the United Kingdom, it is very much essential to understand each other, to know each other’s culture, belief, tradition and values.

Dr. Pasha chose once in a year to bring people of different religions, cultures, traditions and races under one roof to speak about the religion culture and belief of Muslims and their Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and that is the background of holding this Seminar on the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Since the formation of the UMO, Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, its former General Secretary, used to hold this Seminar on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for the past forty years without fail. This is one item which Dr. Pasha never missed. As early as in 2009, Dr. Pasha told me in an interview: “Once I was in hospital and I asked my assistant secretary to carry on and he held the function.”

The UMO’s last Seminar on the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) organised by Dr. Pasha was in 2010. After that, he could not organise the Seminar in 2011. Since November, 2010, Dr. Pasha had been off and on hospitals and home. He died in the morning of Wednesday, the 23rd of November 2011.

In the Seminar on the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) organised by Dr. Pasha, among the distinguished guests, there were, besides others, Rt. Hon. Mr. John Patten, M.P. the then Minister of State, Home Office in 1989, Rt. Hon. Mr. Robin Corbett, M.P. the then Shadow Minister on Home Affairs in 1990; Rt. Hon. Mr. Jack Straw, M.P., the then Shadow Education Secretary in 1991. In 1996, nearly forty nations were represented at this celebration.

This year, in 2012, the UMO is organising again the Seminar, on the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) at the same place, Churchill Hotel, on Wednesday, the 29th of February, but this time the person who never failed to hold the Seminar to convey the Message of Islam to the Muslim community as well as to the wider society was not there, I mean physically. Both the Muslim and the wider society felt the physical absence of this dedicated pious Muslim, Dr. Pasha, who started and founded this organisation to bring unity among the British Muslim community and also to foster and develop good cordial and harmonious relationship with the wider society through interfaith dialogue.

Dr. Pasha told me in an interview, the purpose of holding this Seminar every year without fail was two fold, “We organised this function every year without fail for two reasons, said Dr Pasha, one is spiritual and another is mundane; spiritual reason because the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the first of Creation. Allah created the Nur of the Prophet and then the other Creation. He gave the title Rahmatullil Alamin; Mercy of all the Creatures. He said that. Allah is Rabbul Alamin; Prophet is Rahmatullil Alamin. Then all the Prophets who subsequently came they had the same faith al-Islam which he brought. The latest Prophets - Musa (peace be upon him) and Issa (peace be upon him) - both of them had forecast the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). And they said when he comes follow him.”

Secondly, while speaking on the mundane side, Dr. Pasha mentioned, “Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought a system of life; a system of government and ideology which guarantees happiness on this earth and permanent felicity in the life Hereafter. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) was the only Prophet who was given the honour of being transported bodily to witness all the seven Heavens and what happens to people after they die. The Paradise and the Hell they are realities.”

Dr. Pasha also mentioned, “The UMO, for the past 40 years, what we have tried to do is to promote unity between the Muslims and to facilitate the upbringing of Muslim children in a moral and spiritual atmosphere.”

Purpose of Holding Seminar on
The Life of Prophet (PBUH)
As the Seminar on the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the last Seminar organised by the UMO under the leadership of Dr. Pasha in 2010, I am reproducing below in his own words the purpose of holding a Seminar on the Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Dr. Pasha said, “The UMO being the representative body of the British Muslims has, since its formation forty years ago, has maintained its tradition to celebrate the birthday of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) for two reasons, namely, 1. spiritual and 2. mundane. At a spiritual level ALLAH Subhanahu wa Ta’ala created the Noor (Light) of the Holy Prophet before any other Creation and designated him as the Seal of the Prophets and Mercy unto all creatures. This Noor was transmitted through all Prophets from Adam to all succeeding Prophets including Prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them all. ALLAH ordered all these Prophets and their followers to accept Islam as their religion and way of life. As our Prophet is the last in the line of Prophets, the responsibility of conveying this Message to the British people lies on the Muslims and the UMO has been performing this duty on behalf of the Muslim Ummah.”

At a mundane level, said Dr. Pasha in his press release of 2010, “The Divine Message that the Prophet brought is for the guidance of the whole of humanity guaranteeing a life of peace and tranquillity in this transient world and eternal felicity in the Life Hereafter. Historians, both Muslims and non-Muslims and Orientalists, acclaim him as the greatest benefactor of humanity. He is renowned for his mercy, compassion and magnanimity. He even forgave his enemies after the conquest of Makkah al-Mukarramah. After his emigration to Madinah al-Munawwarah, he promulgated a Charter of Madinah guaranteeing freedom of religion to minorities. In the historic Sermon delivered at the Farewell Pilgrimage he declared a Charter of Human Rights establishing the brotherhood of all mankind regardless of race, colour or ethnicity, raising the status of women to one of legal equality with men, abolishing usury to prevent exploitation of the poor by the rich and banning the consumption of intoxicants.”

Dr. Pasha said in his press release of 2010, “It has taken 1400 years of strife and suffering before the West has accepted the glorious Message of the Prophet and has adopted the United Nations Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mankind owes a debt of gratitude to the Holy Prophet for his enormous contribution which has brought enlightenment and civilisation. Islam is making steady progress in Europe and desperate attempts are being made in the media to distort the image of Islam as a religion of peace, justice and brotherhood. The whole world is watching that Muslims are not terrorists but they are victims of terrorism. The UMO for the past forty years has been encouraging Muslims to play their full role in the mainstream while retaining their religious and cultural identity.” (UMO Press Release on 2 March 2010 on the Birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Picture: File Photo (from Left to Right: Rt. Hon. Councillor Alan Bradley, Lord Mayor of Westminster (locam tenens), Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, General Secretary of UMO and Rt. Hon. Lord Sheikh of Cornhill at the celebration of the Birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him), function at Churchill Hotel, London, 16 March 2009);

Qur'an Memorisation Competition-Prize-giving ceremony

Qur’an Memorisation Competition:
Saudi Ambassador presents the prizes

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The final prize giving ceremony of the Qur’an memorisation competition for the year 1432 Hijri, organised by the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, in association with the Dawah Office of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of Saudi Arabia, was held at the Saudi Embassy at London, on Friday, 17th of February, 2012, after the Jumah prayer, and the prizes for the winners of this competition were presented by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The prize-giving ceremony of the Qur’an Memorisation Competition was conducted by Mr. Abdul Rahman Aneezi of the Saudi Embassy at London.

Islamic Cultural Centre, London, every year organised Qur’an Memorisation Competition during Ramadan and it took two months. There were 90 participants in the competition who belonged to London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The competition was according to the memorisation of the Qur’an into five categories; i) 30 chapter, ii) 20 chapter, iii) 10 chapter, iv) 5 chapter and v) one chapter and not according to age. The winners are mainly from London and Birmingham.

While distributing the prizes to the winners of the Qur’an Memorisation Competition, Prince Mohammed reminded how important the Qur’an is in the lives of Muslims. He also said, it is very important for every Muslim to give some of their times to study the Qur’an and memorise part of it.

Prince Mohammed also mentioned that the Holy Qur’an is, of course, the last revelation from Allah the Almighty. The Qur’an we have it now today, the Ambassador said, is the same as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) more than 1400 years ago.

The Saudi Ambassador described all the participants as winners in the Competition. While commending the Islamic Cultural Centre and the Dawah Office for their efforts, Prince Mohammed also thanked the parents and teachers of the competitors for their role in making it a success.

Prince Mohammed also congratulated the parents and the children and he showed his happiness to be with them and distributed the prizes at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The competition was organised into five categories, according to the Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an, first category - the memorisation of the entire Qur’an, second category - the memorisation of the 20 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the third category - the memorisation of the 10 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the fourth category - the memorisation of the 5 chapter of the Holy Qur’an and the fifth category - the memorisation of the one chapter of the Holy Qur’an.

Out of 90 participants in the Qur’an Memorisation Competition in the year 1432 Hijri, 12 boys and girls won the memorisation of the Holy Qur’an Competition this year, and received prizes, among them only one who is 24 years old named Hafiz Attaur Rahman completed memorising the entire Qur’an.

Among the rest 11 boys and girls, in the second category of the memorisation of 20 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were two winners; First Rahmah Abdun Nasser, aged 11 and second Abdullah A-Mashhud, aged 10.

In the third category of the memorisation of 10 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were three winners, First; Hanifa Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged eight; Khaled Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged nine and second Khalil Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged seven.

In the fourth category of the memorisation of 5 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were three winners, First; Husna Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged eight; Second, Abu Baqer Mansh, aged 16 and Third, Osama Yasir Chihani, aged 11.

In the fifth category of the memorisation of one chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were three winners; First, Ismael Asif, aged nine; Second, Abdur Raheem Naeem, aged nine and Third, Muhammad Ebrahim Bah, aged 11.

All of them received prizes from the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz.

Earlier, Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, while describing about the importance of the Holy Qur’an mentioned, The Holy Qur’an is very important for everybody, for all of Muslims. Qur’an is the last revelation of Allah the Almighty to his Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is our duty to take care of this precious Book where Allah the Almighty gives instructions and it is also our duty to spread the message of Islam.

Dr. Al-Dubayan said, Alhamdo Lillah, the Muslim communities in the West take care of the Qur’an itself, memorising the Qur’an, encouraging their children to memorise the Qur’an al-Kareem and to study it in many mosques and Islamic centres in the UK and Europe.

He also mentioned you will find those children and those young boys and girls who can memorize some of the Qur’an, also try to learn Arabic language and understand what Allah the Almighty said in His Precious Holy Book.

In this connection, Dr. Al-Dubayan also mentioned about the King Fahd Holy Qur’an Complex in Madinah al-Munawwarah. He said the government and the people of Saudi Arabia have been taking a special care of the Qur’an itself. He extended his thanks to King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Qur’an Printing Complex in Madinah al-Munawwarah for the continuous publication of the Qur’an al-Kareem from this complex.

Dr. Al-Dubayan also mentioned the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, distributes more than 10,000 copies of the Holy Qur’an in different languages, i.e. about 15 languages, in London to many mosques and many Islamic centres.

Dr. Al-Dubayan also expressed his thanks to Mr. Abdul Aziz al-Harbi, Mr. Sayeed and all the staff of the Dawah Office, London and also to the Sheikhs and the Imams who made the judgement of the Competitors; who listened to the students when they recited the Qur’an and of course we have to congratulate the parents those who take care about their children and encourage their children day and night to memorize the Qur’an. May Allah the Almighty accept their good deeds.

This organising and holding the Qur’an Memorisation Competition annually is no doubt a good initiative which works as a great boost to the propagation of Islamic religion, throughout the world, in general and particularly in this country. It also provided the opportunity to showcase the knowledge and excellence of the country’s teeming young boys and girls as well as unearth the unique talents that the nation is endowed with.

Like the previous competitions, the organisation of this year’s prize giving ceremony saw all the 12 young boys and girls receiving their awards to the excitement of those present at the event, including religious Sheikhs and community leaders.

Muslim Council of Britain Celebrates World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012

Muslim Council of Britain celebrates
World Interfaith Harmony Week

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Interfaith Relations Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) organised an event under the heading “Building Trust, Peace & Harmony through Interfaith Relations”, on Monday, the 6th of February, 2012 at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Sheikh of Cornhill. Lord Sheikh who chaired the event, welcomed the audiences including the Guest of Honour Princess Badiya El-Hassan of Jordan who presented a message on behalf of her father, HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Guest Speakers at the event were HE Mazen Homoud, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in London and Professor Mohamed El-Gomati, OBE, President, Foundation for Science, Technology & Civilization. Mr. Abdul Rahman Shaibani, Deputy Head of the Saudi Embassy in London, also attended the event.

Lord Sheikh
Lord Sheikh said, “It gives me great pleasure to host and speak at an event which seeks to break barriers and build bridges between our communities. Events like this gathering play an important role in affirming and celebrating Britain’s status as a diverse and multicultural society.”

Lord Sheikh said, “I believe that there are more similarities than differences between people and we should highlight the similarities in order to establish closer links between communities.”

Lord Sheikh quoted from the Holy Qur’an (Sura 49, Ayah 13) which says: ‘O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah is he who has piety and righteousness”

Lord Sheikh also said, “Despite the image portrayed in some of today’s media, Islam has a long and proud history of tolerance and respect for people of other faiths. The Holy Koran is emphatically clear on this point, stating ‘let there be no compulsion in religion’, and this has been manifest in Muslim civilization throughout history.”

Lord Sheikh also mentioned, “Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions and we believe in the Prophets who are mentioned in the Bible including the following Prophets (peace be upon them) –Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jacob and Jesus. God’s guidance to mankind started with Prophet Adam (pbuh) and ended with Prophet Mohammed (pbuh).”

With regard to relations with other faith communities, Lord Sheikh said, “Islam in fact regards Christians and Jews as people of the book and Muslims believe that the books of Allah are the Quran, the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms of David. The Koran also mentions scrolls of Abraham. I may add that the Holy Koran has an entire chapter which is titled Maryam (Mary mother of Jesus).”

With regard to similarities between Sikhism and Islam, Lord Sheikh mentioned, “I would like to state that the foundation of the Golden Temple in Amritsar was laid by Mian Mir, a Muslim holy person. One of the constant companions of Guru Nanak Sahib was Mardana who was a Muslim. He accompanied Guru Nanak Sahib on his journey to Mecca and Medina. In the Guru Granth Sahib there are writings of a Muslim, Sheikh Farid.”

Lord Sheikh has just come back from India where he came to know that “There is now an organisation that has been set up in India to promote interfaith dialogue between the Hindus and Muslims and I have been asked to be its patron,” said Lord Sheikh and added, “Islam and Hinduism are similar in the fact that they believe in the moral responsibility of each individual towards others and in the practice of such virtues as charity, righteousness, forgiveness, tolerance, mercy, compassion, brotherhood, patience and gratitude.

Finally, Lord Sheikh said, “Islam is indeed a religion of peace and everyone one of us should therefore be an Ambassador to convey this message and help promote peace and harmony between various racial and religious groups.”

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan
HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan in his message emphasized that The developing the rule of law is an absolutely essential to recognise the traditional background of the congenial communities which you hope to direct in promoting the common goal.

Prince Hassan also maintained, “I had the experience of developing an understanding which is basically loosely defined as one emphasizing the association between theology and practicality, that is to say, we accept the belief of all; at the same time we work together on beginning with commonality and in that sense let us take into account the wisdom of the illumination tradition of Asia and the enlightenment tradition of the Europe.”

Prince Hassan divided the world into the land of the Sun and the Twilight zone and said, “Asia possesses the land of vitality, the land of pioneering culture and civilization in our world, temporal zone, birth place of culture and civilization and the Twilight zone which combined the twilight between meditation, consideration and evolution of course to serve mankind.”

While speaking about education, Prince Hassan said, “we tend to be focused on parochial form of education, wherever we are and this is something which I think we need in term of best practice to recognise that Europe has pioneer programme which has culminated today” and indeed in terms of human understanding based on comprehension.

Prince Hassan also mentioned about youth. He said “how rich our shared humanity is particularly our youth.”

Speaking about Arab Spring, Prince Hassan said, “The Arab spring is not spring against anybody; it is a spring that called for its inception for reform based on values and human dignity. That is my understanding, of course things went badly wrong in different parts of our region; but that does not mean that we should not continue to accept our responsibility for our works and for our deeds.”

“It is time to recognise the economic and political dimensions of dialogue,” said Prince Hassan and concluded, “Let us try to meet as human beings in building harmony for the future of generations to come.”

Princess Badiya El-Hassan
Princess Badiya El-Hassan of Jordan said, “We should take care of each other; if we do it together, we can build trust, peace and better life for all.”

Dr. Harriet Crabtree, OBE
Dr. Harriet Crabtree, OBE, Director, Interfaith network for the UK, spoke about the importance of religion. She said religion can be a contributor. She said we have to work together to bring about harmony. Secondly, Dr. Harriet praised the interfaith work of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) mentioning about its membership of the interfaith network. Dr. Harriet also mentioned about trust and participation. This interfaith week, said Dr. Harriet, is a remarkable week and please participates in the week.

In this connection, it may be pointed out that many Muslim countries sponsored the resolution to create United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week as the first week of February each year. “The World Interfaith Harmony Week pioneered by His Majesty King Abdullah II seeks to spread the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of all the world’s religions, faiths and beliefs. It seeks to do this by promoting the common basis of “Love of God and Love of the Neighbour

“The objectives behind the World Interfaith Harmony Week, in the words of the author of the resolution, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, are: To Harness and utilise the collective might of the world’s second-largest infrastructure "places of worship" specifically for peace and harmony in the world

The Islamic Cultural Centre, London and Exhibition Islam jointly organised the VIP Event - Islamic Cultural Exhibition which was arranged as part of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012, on Tuesday, 7th of February, 2012, at the Islamic Cultural Centre & The London Central Mosque. The VIP event was attended by members of Parliament, including Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, Ambassadors of the Muslim Countries, representatives of embassies, and members of different interfaith organisations.

The message read out at the VIP Event at the ICC says, “The purpose of the exhibition is to educate the wider community on the Islamic culture and how the core of all mutual prophetic teachings are based on mutual respect, harmony and peace “.

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012

Real dialogue started more than 1400 years ago
by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Real dialogue started more than 1400 years ago by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said Lord Ahmad of Rotherham, Labour Peer at the VIP Event - Islamic Cultural Exhibition which was arranged as part of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012, on Tuesday, 7th of February, 2012, at the Islamic Cultural Centre & The London Central Mosque. The Islamic Cultural Centre, London and Exhibition Islam jointly organised this VIP Event which was attended by members of Parliament, including Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, Ambassadors of the Muslim Countries, representatives of embassies, members of different interfaith organisations,

Many organisations in the United Kingdom celebrated UN World Interfaith Harmony Week on 6th and 7th of February. 2012. World Interfaith Week was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in a resolution: “Proclaimed the first week of February every year the World Interfaith Harmony Week between all religions, faiths and beliefs” adopted on 20 October, 2010.

Lord Sheikh
Speaking at the VIP Event at ICC, Lord Sheikh quoted from his speech in the House of Lords where he stated, “Unfortunately, there is a demonisation of Islam in certain quarters, and it is important that the media act in a responsible manner in this regard and avoid use of inflammatory language. In regard to suicide bombings, Islam forbids suicide. In the holy Qur’an it is written that,“ whoever kills a human being … it as though he has killed all mankind, and whoever saves a human life, it is as though he saved all mankind”. This saying is similar to what is written in the Talmud, where it is written, “if you save one life, it is as if you have saved the world”.”

Lord Sheikh also said, “I believe that there are more similarities than differences between people and we should highlight the similarities in order to establish closer links between communities.”

Highlight the similarities
Referring to the Exhibition Islam at the Islamic Cultural Centre, Lord Sheikh said, “At the Exhibition today we can see displays of various items which give a very brief description of achievements of the Muslims and their contributions to the world in various fields. All these empires and dynasties have contributed a great deal to the understanding and promotion of the subjects I have described.”

Referring to the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, Lord Sheikh said, Hajj Exhibition “explains one of the pillars of Islam and creates better understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.”

Islam teaches us to celebrate differences
Lord Sheikh also said, “Mutual understanding, respect, and inter-faith dialogue are essential if we are all to coexist peacefully. Islam teaches us to celebrate the difference and diversity which God has purposefully created in our world.”

Finally, Lord Sheikh said, “Islam is indeed a religion of peace and everyone one of us should therefore be an Ambassador to convey this message and help promote peace and harmony between various racial and religious groups.”

Lord Ahmad
Lord Ahmad of Rotherham spoke about interfaith dialogue. He said, “It is important that the Islamic Cultural Centre is providing platform for dialogue but the real dialogue started 1400 years ago by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Real dialogue started 1400 years ago
by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Lord Ahmed mentioned, “Even long before revelation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made a society Halful Fazul and also entered into agreement with the Jewish community and people with faith or no faith.

Lord Ahmed also mentioned about Caliph Omar. He said, “When Caliph Omar (may Allah be please with him) conquered Jerusalem he allowed the Jewish community to return to Jerusalem after 300 years when they have been excluded and he included them in all the decision making process.”

Responsibility to neighbours
“So dialogue started all ago and so we have responsibility to our neighbours,” said Lord Ahmad and then he quoted from the Holy Qur’an, which says, “There is no compulsion in religion.”

This stunning exhibition outlines: Islam – The Religion; Islamic History; Islam’s Relations with other faiths. It also allows visitors to view Historic Qur’ans, Torah Scrolls and Bible fragments from across the Islamic World.

The Interfaith Relations Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) organised an event under the heading “Building Trust, Peace & Harmony through Interfaith Relations”, on Monday, the 6th of February, 2012 at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Sheikh of Cornhill. Lord Sheikh who chaired the event, welcomed the audiences including the Guest of Honour Princess Badiya El-Hassan of Jordan who presented a message on behalf of her father, HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

In this connection, it may be pointed out that many Muslim countries sponsored the resolution to create United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week as the first week of February each year.

Media Tour and Press Conference on BM Hajj Exhibition

Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum:

Media Tour and Press Conference

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Through the vivid images and artefacts on display, the exhibition reveals the truly universal character of the Hajj, said His Royal Highness Prince Charles, heir apparent to the British throne, while inaugurating the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, on Thursday, the 26th of January 2012. He also added, “I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to have been asked to open this splendid exhibition celebrating the Hajj; one of the five pillars of Islam and thus of the greatest possible significance to the spiritual and temporal lives of Muslim people across the entire world.”

The official opening of the Hajj Exhibition: “A Journey into the heart of Islam” was made in the presence of a large gathering of politicians, parliamentarians, academics and important figures in Britain, led by HRH Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of the Board of King Abdul Aziz Public Library; HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in London and HE Mr. Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Muammar, General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library.

Before the official inauguration of the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and the heir apparent to the British throne, there were media lunch and media tour and conference. Immediately one day before the inauguration, there was media tour and press conference at the British museum on Wednesday, 25th of January and two days before the inauguration, there was Media Lunch at the Saudi Embassy, London, on Tuesday, 24th of January, 2012, detail reports are given below:

MEDIA TOUR AND PRESS CONFERENCE ON HAJJ
EXHIBITION AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Earlier, one day before the launch of the exhibition: “Hajj: A Journey to the Heart of Islam,” on Wednesday, 25th of January, 2012, a meeting with the members of the media from the British media, Arab and Islamic world was held at the British Museum. At the meeting, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, said, “Hajj provides wonderful examples of equality and peace among people. The Kingdom is concerned about people’s lives and is doing a lot to serve the pilgrims.”

Dr. Neil McGregor
In the beginning, Dr. Neil McGregor, the Director of the British Museum, explained the idea behind the Hajj Exhibition; its objectives and divisions. He pointed out the importance of Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islam and that it is one of the greatest phenomena in the world. He stated that the Hajj has a great impact on the lives of many people.

Mr. McGregor said, “It was not possible to have an exhibition on Hajj without the support and patron of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the support of the Saudi Embassy, London.”

He added, “We cannot address all of the five pillars of Islam in this Exhibition, but it is enough to point out the Hajj in two ways: firstly, the spiritual experience pilgrims go through and secondly, the logistics of the Hajj.”

The Director of the British Museum went on to explain that this ritual was performed by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which dated back to Adam (peace be upon him) and through the ages until today. This made us address the method of transportation to Makkah (Mecca) throughout successive centuries down to the present.

Concluding his observations, Dr. McGregor thanked those who provided objects and artefacts to the exhibition including King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Riyadh. He also stated that “We need to remember that the duty and care for the Hajj rests on the shoulders of the ruler of Makkah” emphasizing that “this is important and central”.

He continued saying “Today this responsibility for the Hajj rests on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.” The Museum Director made it clear that “It was not possible to have an exhibition on Hajj without the patron and support of the Hajj; i.e. the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. So we are honoured to have the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz here today.”

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf
Saudi Ambassador Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf addressed the meeting where he thanked the British Museum, its Director and the Hajj Exhibition coordinator Dr. Venetia Porter, Assistant Curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle East at the British Museum as well as Mr. Faisal bin Muammar.

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf affirmed the importance of the Hajj in Islam and that it is an obligation upon every Muslim once in a lifetime if he is able, physically and financially. The Ambassador also said that “Pilgrimage comes on top of the concerns of Muslims and the trips they make whether they are men, women, old or young.” He pointed out that the exhibition provides only a glimpse of this great pillar of Islam and its evolution over the centuries.

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf also stated that “The Hajj offers wonderful examples of equality and peace among humans, and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen on protecting people’s lives. This is a top priority for Saudi Arabia and this is why it spends a lot of effort and money to serve the pilgrims and to develop the Holy Sites and the two cities of Makkah and Madinah.”

At the end, the Saudi Ambassador reiterated his thanks for the presence of media and those in charge of the exhibition and expected a great success for the exhibition.

Dr. Venetia Porter
After that, Assistant Curator, Dr. Porter stated about the difficult decisions made by officials at the Museum on how it would reflect the great meaning of the Hajj which has been going on for centuries. Dr. Porter then said, “The exhibition is divided into three parts, the first is about the access roads to the Hajj and the means of transport for pilgrims. The second is on what the pilgrims do in Mecca and the holy sites; the performance of rituals and a description of the place through some of the expressive artefacts and paintings. The third part is on how the Hajj has changed the lives of pilgrims, a description of their journeys and what they brought back to their own countries from Makkah after performing the Hajj.”

The Curator at the British Museum pointed out to the precious artefacts as well as the fascinating old and modern photos which came to the exhibition from multiple sources, including, of course, King Abdul Aziz Public Library.

Dr. Porter gave an example of Darb Zubaydah where some artefacts from Museums in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dating back to the 8th century are on display.

Dr. Porter concluded her presentation with reference to the scene of standing in front of the Ka’aba which stunned the ancient and modern pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque, who expressed their emotions in various means expressing the magnitude of this place and the holiness of this ritual.

After these brief statements, His Excellency Mr. Faisal bin Muammar, the General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library led the media and journalists on a tour of the contents of the exhibition and answered their questions.

The British Museum has invited the media for a full day tour of the exhibition one day prior to its inauguration, where they moved freely inside the exhibition, took photos and conducted interviews. At hand was Dr. Ahmad Turkistani, the spokesman of King Abdul Aziz Public Library at the exhibition where he answered some of the reporters’ questions.

“Hajj celebrates peace, unity and our equality before God – men and women, of all ages, from every nation. It is a profound, life changing experience – it doesn’t guarantee a passage to heaven, but it focuses all Muslims on what is really important in life, as prescribed by our faith,” said Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom & Ireland at a Media Lunch on Tuesday, 24th of January 2012 prior to the British Museum Hajj Exhibition to be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of January, 2012.

The King Abdul Aziz Public Library of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the British Museum is holding an Exhibition, Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, which will be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of January, 2012 at the British Museum. His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Heir to the British Throne, is going to be the honorary guest for the inauguration of this exhibition and Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a Member of the Board of King Abdul Aziz Public Library will be present at the inauguration ceremony among others. . The British Museum Hajj Exhibition will be opened from 26 January to 15 April, 2012.