Saudi Ambassador HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf and British Foreign Secretary Margaret Becket yesterday, jointly launched the British Hajj delegation to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj season which begins in two weeks time.
More than 25,000 British Muslims are expected to make the pilgrimage to Makkah to take part in the Hajj this year. In the past year some 62,000 British Muslims have travelled to Saudi Arabia on Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf said: “Facilitating Hajj for pilgrims coming from the United Kingdom is at the heart of the strong bonds that Saudi Arabia shares with your country.
“The Saudi British relationship was established from the very beginning on mutual respect. The seeds of cooperation between our great nations were planted nearly a century ago. Since that time, our two countries have worked closely together to expand relations through a variety of cultural, economic and diplomatic relations.”
The British delegation will be led by Lord Patel of Blackburn. In all some 2 million Muslims from around the world are expected to take part in Hajj this year.
Picture: The Ambassador with the British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.
The full text of the Ambassador’s speech follows:
The remarks delivered by HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Nawaf Bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and to the Republic of Ireland during the Ceremony to Launch the British Hajj Delegation To The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for The Hajj season of the year 1427 Hijra (2006 – 2007 Gregorian)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله،
Your Excellency, Honorable Foreign Secretary
Lord Patel, excellencies, ambassadors,
Members of the British Hajj Delegation,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته،
Peace be upon all of you,
I am delighted to join this special gathering today to celebrate the launch of the British Hajj Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj season.
I am pleased to see so many Muslims from all walks of life eagerly preparing to travel to my country to perform this religious duty that is so dear to their hearts.
It is a true honor to stand here before you today, representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a nation that will have the privilege of hosting hundreds of thousands of dedicated Muslims coming from the four corners of the globe for this special event.
Every Muslim knows the importance of the Hajj as one of the five pillars of Islam. As well as being a duty for all Muslims who are physically and financially able, it is also a great human celebration.
During Hajj, millions of Muslims, old and young, rich and poor from the world-over gather in one place, at the same time, standing together on an equal footing, and dressed as one. Hajj is a true reflection of the principals of Islam where no man or woman is better than another and all Muslims are equal in the eyes of God.
This principle of equality is of the highest significance as it demonstrates the essence of Islam, Islam of moderation , Islam of conciliation and Islam of good relations with others. It reflects the true meaning of the Hajj which the Prophet Muhammad himself, Peace be upon Him, manifested clearly when he performed this meaningful set of rituals.
Hajj is an occasion where Muslims from all nations are given a golden opportunity to know each other better and learn more about each other’s issues and concerns and practice Islam’s teachings of compassion, tolerance, care and cooperation with others.
Hajj, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the most impressive manifestation of Islam’s cross-borders and cross-cultural nature.
In Saudi Arabia, we are truly blessed with the distinct honor and responsibility of being the custodians, stewards and servants of Islam’s most important holy places including the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. This is a blessing that we thank God for, and a responsibility which we do not take lightly. The Kingdom puts its responsibility to Islam first. It puts an immense human, financial and administrative effort into caring for these sites and for pilgrims visiting them from around the world including British Muslims like yourselves. Hardly a week or month passes without a new project being launched to improve and care for these holy sites.
Each year, the Kingdom hosts more than two million Muslims during Hajj, as well as several million Mulims who visit the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah to perform Umrah throughout the year.
The numbers of Muslims visiting Saudi Arabia each year for religious reasons are expected to increase as the number of Muslims throughout the world continues to grow. As a result, the Kingdom is constantly challenged to improve its facilities and the services it provides to meet the needs of this ever increasing number of pilgrims.
In this past year, a significant extension was made to the Jamarat bridge at a cost of $1.12 billion to make Hajj safer for pilgrims. In June of this year, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz announced plans to further expand the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah so that it can accommodate a further 270,000 worshippers.
This is all in addition to the $8 billion committed under the 10 year plan announced in 2003 to carry out 60 projects in relation to Makkah and Madinah, including the development of new hotels and apartments to accommodate the ever growing number of pilgrims.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia happily undertakes these commitments and the only reward it looks for is the assurance that pilgrims are able to perform Hajj properly and that they return home to their families safe, happy and fulfilled.
Out of approximately 2 million Muslims in the United Kingdom, 25,000 performed Hajj last year. A similar or even greater number is expected this year.
In addition, over 37,000 British Muslims traveled to Saudi Arabia last year to perform ‘Umrah and the same or even greater number is expected throughout next 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 British Hajj Delegation’s visit to Saudi Arabia is a safe and successful one.
Facilitating Hajj for pilgrims coming from the United Kingdom is at the very heart of the strong bonds that Saudi Arabia share with your country. Saudi Arabia is always pleased to welcome the British Hajj Delegation and the embassy in London will spare no effort in making this a pleasant experience.
Allow me now please to address our bilateral relations.
The Saudi British relationship was established, from the very beginning, on mutual respect. The seeds of cooperation between our great nations were planted nearly a century ago. Since that time, the two countries have worked closely together to expand relations through a variety of cultural, economic and diplomatic relations.
In this context, the important and historic meeting between the late King ‘Abd al-‘Aziz and British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, that took place in February 1945, signaled the dawn of a new era that enhanced the close bonds of friendship and mutual respect that our great nations work constantly to promote with the aim of protecting the mutual interests of both countries, especially during these turbulent times.
On this special occasion, I believe it is appropriate to express my sincere appreciation for the important role played by the Islamic Cultural Center and the valuable health, education, cultural and religious services it provides. Our celebration here today is a true testimony of the efforts of those working here as well as a realization of the vision of the founders of the centre some 60 years ago.
The current directors and their predecessors, drawn from many Muslim countries around the world, have worked long and hard to see it become a focal point of understanding and for meeting with others. This center is a shining example of the true and meaningful cooperation between the Muslim community and the British government.
We are in great need of more institutions of this kind, founded with a clear vision and purpose. Muslims must work hard, through such institutions to enhance cultural and social ties with all groups inside the United Kingdom in order to reflect the true image of Islam: an image of tolerance, moderation and co-existence, not of extremism and hostility.
In this respect, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Abdullah Bin Abdualziz, takes great pride in its longstanding policy of moderation and tolerance in both its foreign relations and in its efforts to promote Islam. These principles have been followed by the Kingdom since its unification a century ago and we encourage other nations to practice the same.
Equally, the British Government’s support of moderation and tolerance are greatly appreciated by all Muslims and certainly by Saudi Arabia. Nowhere is this attention more evident than in the support it provides to the Muslim community in general and to the British Hajj Delegation in particular.
We, in Saudi Arabia, acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of both the British Government and Muslim organizations in the United Kingdom, such as the Hajj Advisory Group. Representatives of this Group reflect the diversity of the Muslim community across the United Kingdom. They have put tremendous efforts into arranging pre-Hajj awareness sessions for members of the Hajj delegation as well as serving as a focal point for addressing the consular and medical concerns of British Muslims undertaking the Hajj.
As a result of this exemplary work, mainly provided by volunteers, the British Hajj Delegation has become a model for others to follow. We are grateful to them and to the British Government and in particular the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who have worked in close partnership with the British Muslim community, especially in relation to the Hajj.
I would like to conclude my remarks by expressing my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of you for your keen interest in the Muslim community in the United Kingdom and for the spiritual and physical welfare of pilgrims from this country.
I also thank all members of the Hajj Advisory Group and its Chairman, Lord Patel, who has admirably and successfully led British Hajj Delegations throughout the years.
I also extend my thanks to the Director of the Islamic Cultural Center, Dr Ahmad al-Dubayyan and to all of his staff for their invaluable efforts and the great work they have done, and continue to do.
Finally, I would like to thank Her Excellency the Foreign Secretary for being here. Your presence today is a testament of the British Government support of the Muslim community in the United Kingdom and of its commitment to this special partnership.
Thank you and may Peace be upon all of you.
والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
