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October 27, 2006 |
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SAUDIS PERFORM EID PRAYERS IN ALL REGIONS AND GOVERNORATES IN THE KINGDOM. A CALL FOR MUSLIMS TO STICK BY THE RULES OF ISLAM, PEACE, JUSTICE AND COOPERATION. KING ABDULLAH INSPECTS THE PROGRESS OF WORK ON THE JAMRAT EXPANSION PROJECT IN MINA. Muslims throughout the kingdom of Saudi Arabia performed Eid-Al-Fitr prayers. In Makkah, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, Speaker of the Yemeni council of deputies, princes, Muslim scholars, sheikhs, ministers and groups of citizens performed Eid prayers. Eid prayers in Makkah were led by Dr Salih Bin Humaid, Chairman of the Shoura (Consultative) Council. Addressing the worshippers, Dr Bin Humaid said Eid is an indivisible part of the Islamic system which links the past with the present. He expressed happiness for the spread of Islam throughout the world and the remarkable increase of its followers in a manner that causes the fear of its enemies. He noted that the non-Muslims who have started to read Islam so as to get acquainted with its principles and values have realized the fact that it is the only religion which is capable of solving the problems of the mankind. Dr Bin Humaid slammed the quarters which allege that Islam was spread by sword. Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid, the imam of the Grand Mosque and chairman of the Shoura Council, said that Islam was growing fast in the world despite the strident campaign by enemies against the religion and its Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). Delivering his sermon to the nearly two million faithful who had thronged the large mosque complex for Eid Al-Fitr prayers, the imam urged Muslims to be optimistic about a bright future, adding that they would be able to overcome the present troubles and tribulations as they did in the past. "Be happy and hopeful and enjoy your Eid. The age of Islam is longer than your ages and its horizon is wider than your nations. Muslims emerged victorious in Badr but suffered defeat in Uhud...they were shaken during the battle of Ahzab but entered Makkah victorious. They lost Baghdad to the Mongolians but won Constantinople. Such is the way of Allah," Bin-Humaid said. Referring to Pope Benedict's controversial remarks on Islam, he said it came from vexation at the spread of the Muslim faith. "This arises only because of ire in the hearts of adversaries over the spread of Islam beyond all borders and obstacles," he explained. Denouncing the allegation that Islam spread by the sword, he said: "Every rational person knows that no principle, no matter how attractive or powerful, can be spread by swords, tanks or explosives." He said the hearts of people cannot be opened by spears or swords or warplanes. "They are only open to truth and that is Islam. They can only be opened by mercy, which is Islam, and to good manners that it represents," he added. He added that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) had not forced anybody to accept Islam. He said, "God tells the Prophet in the Qur'an: 'If it had been your Lord's Will, they would all have believed all who are on Earth. Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?'" Bin-Humaid said history was full of violence. "How many Muslims were killed, displaced and made homeless ... Muslim blood has been the cheapest." He said the jihad of the Prophet and his followers was for the sake of God and not for conceit, influence or greed. "It was a struggle to champion monotheism, to prevent oppression from encroaching on rights and power from wiping out justice." Bin-Humaid emphasized that God would fulfill the message of Islam despite the efforts of its enemies to put out its light. "And you can see that Islam is the fastest spreading religion in the world. It pierces into the hearts of people even in the strongholds of other faiths. The number of mosques is also on the increase and the calls for prayer reverberate continuously from their minarets," he added. The imam considered the attack on the symbols of Islam as well as the intense watch on its followers, their leaders and youth and charities as signs of a bright future. He said by the end of the last century and beginning of this century thousands of non-Muslims had embraced Islam after understanding that it is the only religion that can solve the problems of humanity. "The future world order will be based on religion and the Islamic system will prevail irrespective of its present weakness because of its comprehensiveness," he said, quoting a specialized study. He pointed out that a large number of non-Muslims buy copies of the Holy Qur'an. "The number of non-Muslims embracing Islam is growing fast despite warnings by their political and religious leaders," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the imam as saying. Bin-Humaid cited the main reason for the spread of Islam as the noble life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. "Community leaders and businessmen like Abu Bakr, Othman and Abdul Rahman bin Auf came to the fold of Islam leaving their worldly gains. What were the reasons that encouraged them to believe in the Prophet and spend their wealth for the spread of Islam? He never told a lie, he never cheated anybody, and he did not commit any injustice. He protected people's honour and encouraged his followers to strengthen their family bonds. His life is an open book, no page or line of it has been removed," Bin-Humaid added. The Prophet Muhammad did not become proud when more areas came under Islamic control. "Instead, he told his arch rivals and fighters during the Makkah victory that you are set free. He entered Makkah bowing his head, expressing his gratitude to God and commending the power and greatness of the Almighty," he said. Muslims in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrated the blessed Eid Al-Fitr on Monday, October 23rd. On this occasion, the Ministry of Culture And Information warmly congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz; Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; the royal family; citizens; and Muslims all over the world on the advent of the blessed Eid Al-Fitr. The ministry wished all permanent good health and many happy returns for the kingdom, its leaders and citizens, also wishing steady progress, prosperity, security and stability for Arab and Islamic nations. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received the speaker of the Yemeni council of deputies' Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, Secretary General of Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanughlo. The King also received Muslim scholars, sheikhs, ministers, senior officials, commanders and officers of the armed forces, national guard and the internal security forces, and a group of citizens in addition to the employees of the royal protocol and commanders and officers of the royal guard who came to greet him on the occasion of the advent of Eid-Al-Fitr. The meetings were attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation, Prince Metib Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Prince Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Special Advisor to the King, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, Prince Abdul-Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Ahmad Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Interior Minister, and Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the President of the General Intelligence. On the other hand the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Jeddah from Makkah. He was accompanied by Prince Abdul Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the President of the General Intelligence, and Prince Metib Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, arrived in Jeddah coming from Makkah. The Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General was accompanied by a number of princes. Before leaving Makkah on his way to Jeddah Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, received the Speaker of the Yemeni Council of Deputies Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, Muslim scholars, sheikhs, commanders and senior officers of the armed forces, the public security and the national guard as well as a group of citizens who came to congratulate him on the occasion of the advent of Eid-Al-Fitr. The meeting was attended by Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Defense and Aviation Minister for Military Affairs, Princes, Dr Salih Ibn Humaid, Chairman of the Shoura (Consultative) Council, and other senior officials. On the other hand the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz visited the Jamrat development project accompanied by Prince Metib Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Prince Abdul-Ilah Ibn Abdul Aziz, and Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the President of the General Intelligence. The King was received at the site of the project by a number of senior officials. Speaking on the occasion, the Monarch underscored the importance of the project which will enable the pilgrims to perform their rituals in comfort and ease. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah inspected the progress of work on the Jamrat expansion project in Mina on and urged officials to carry out the project in a foolproof manner. "King Abdullah urged officials in charge of the project to exert greater effort to carry out the work in the best manner in order to help the guests of God perform their religious duties in ease and comfort," the Saudi Press Agency reported. Hajj will tentatively begin on Dec. 29 with pilgrims beginning to arrive a month prior to the annual event. King Abdullah was briefed on the various phases of the project, which is estimated to cost SR4.2 billion ($1.12 billion), by Habeeb Zainul Abideen, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs and Bakr Binladin, chairman of Saudi Binladin Group. The first phase, which will be completed this year, includes the first floor, ground floor and two tunnels. "Next year, we'll complete another floor of the bridge," Zainul Abideen said, adding that the new Jamrat bridge will have four floors. Once the project is completed it can hold nearly five million pilgrims at a time. "The primary objective of the project is to help facilitate the stoning ritual at Mina without stampedes and other accidents," the minister said. He described the new high-tech Jamrat bridge as one of the largest projects in the world. "About 10,000 employees are working daily on this project and they use more than 2,000 equipment," he said. He said the king has allocated SR250 million for flood drainage projects in Mina. King Abdullah was accompanied by Prince Miteb, minister of public works and housing and chairman of the Higher Authority for the Development of Makkah and Madinah, Prince Meqrin, chief of intelligence, other princes and senior officials. The first phase will be completed by the beginning of December ahead of the Hajj season. "We have already completed 70 percent of the first phase. God willing, the remaining part will be ready within the next two months," the minister said. King Abdullah ordered the project as part of efforts to prevent stampedes and crowding in the Jamrat area. In the past, hundreds of pilgrims have died performing the stoning ritual. Two underpasses have been completed as part of the project. They will be used for vehicle movement. About 80 percent of the basement, which will be used for collecting stones, disposing wastes and parking ambulances, is also ready. The Saudi Binladin Group, which won the contract last year, has set up a huge factory in Bahra on an area of 450,000 square meters to supply concrete blocks required for the project. The new facility will have two helipads for speedy evacuation of casualties in case of accidents. The new structure will have 10 entrances and 12 exits distributed over the four levels plus the ground floor to accommodate pilgrims coming from different directions. Pilgrims coming from the east of Mina, who account for the bulk of the crowd, will use the ground and first floor. The second level will be used mainly by pilgrims coming from the direction of Makkah, the third level by those coming from the north of Mina and new pilgrim camps and the fourth level by pilgrims coming from the south of Makkah via King Abdul Aziz Road. On the other hand, Prince Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General addressed the Armed Forces, calling on them not to forget their oppressed brothers in other Arab countries. "We must not forget our oppressed brothers in other Arab countries, suffering from some of the worst forms of oppression, namely the robbery of their land. Our pain must not deter us from being more persistent and more determined on taking back these robbed rights and liberating the first Qibla from the hands of the oppressors," Prince Abdul Rahman said. From Jeddah in the west to Dammam in the east, Saudi Arabia kicked off the three-day Eid Al-Fitr celebrations with much fanfare. Riyadh Governor Prince Salman joined the citizens and residents in performing Eid prayers at Imam Turki Ibn Abdullah Mosque in downtown Deira. Eid prayers were also held in 56 other Eid mosques and grounds around Riyadh marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan. Later, the governor received princes, scholars, sheikhs, ministers, senior officials as well as commanders and officers of the armed forces, as well as groups of citizens who greeted him on the festive occasion. In the Sulemaniya district mosque, the imam highlighted in his sermon the significance of fasting and the importance of Eid to Muslims. There was brisk sale of wheat bags costing SR10 each, which the people bought in large numbers for distribution among the poor and the needy as part of their Zakat Al Fitr. Those who could not buy the wheat bags gave away the equivalent amount in charity. The city was virtually deserted as most of the people had flocked to hypermarkets and restaurants to buy clothes and gifts or to stock up on food. There was also a big rush outside bakeries causing the customers to wait for an hour or more for their turn. The Riyadh municipality has lined up a number of programs for evenings after Isha prayers. They include folklore dances from different regions. The holy city of Madinah was full of activities after Isha prayer on Sunday night as last-minute shoppers rushed to stock up for Eid. Shopping centers around the majestic Prophet's Mosque were particularly crowded with vendors there saying children's clothing was in high demand. People from Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Turkey and many other nationalities were seen shopping for the Eid. Ezmeer Ismael, a visitor from Turkey, said that this is his fourth Eid in Madinah in the last 10 years. He said that Eid celebration in the Kingdom is very much close to the celebration back home. "I feel as if am at home rushing to buy Eid clothing and decorations," he said. "We came to Madinah in a group of 60 people and we will celebrate Eid with our Muslim brothers in Madinah." People started to flood the Prophet's Mosque two hours before Fajr prayer just to find a place inside the mosque. The areas inside the mosque filled quickly and the pious people were seen spilling out onto the surrounding streets and sidewalks. The mosque was empty after the Isha prayer. The mosque was given a fresh look for Eid, with new carpets and the scent of oud. Residents from Yanbu, Badr, Al-Akhal and Al-Ula arrived to the Holy Mosque with their families to pray. Some travelled over 200 km just to pray in Madinah and visit some relatives before going back again. This influx caused traffic to snarl. Some people parked their cars three kilometers away from the mosque just to avoid the huge traffic. Traffic department officials were present at the roads around the mosque even as tens of thousands of people walking on the main road added to the congestion. Like elsewhere in the country, men, women and children gathered in main Jeddah mosques before dawn yesterday to perform Eid prayers. One of the most well-known locations, the municipal Eid prayer land located in Khozam area besides Makkah Road, was packed. The locations were filled within an hour with gorgeously dressed people who came with their own mattresses and gathered in the area. Small boys and girls took the flashlights with their colourful and traditional clothing. Some boys were dressed up in an authentic Hejazi dress, a turban and a white vest that is dressed over the thobe. The grown-ups also added to the color, as each authentic group came with their original cultural dresses. A few blocks away from the Khozam area in Madain Al-Fahd, people also filed in to pray, with stragglers resigned to praying by the main road. "I barely found a place for my family in the parking lot next to vehicles," said Jeddah resident Muhammad Al-Garni. The imam of Al-Rajhi Mosque in the area invited the people of the district for a breakfast in the mosque. Many men and children went to the mosque, where they had their breakfast and listened to a speech about the blessings of Eid and its role to re-connect people who had been taken away by daily life's issues. Shortly after prayers, kids were rushing to knock the doors of neighbours for greetings and to have some of the Eid candies that are given away to children and guests as a traditional custom. Hotels, amusement parks and tourism resorts in Jeddah are racing to grab a share of sales during the three days of Eid. Jeddah residents and visitors will be spending hundreds of millions of riyals during Eid holidays. Authorities in the city have braced themselves to receive more than one million visitors at the beginning of Shawwal. It is estimated that half-a-million pilgrims of different nationalities have traveled from Madinah and Makkah to visit Jeddah. According to the Jeddah municipality, the Corniche and tourism sites will receive more than 400,000 visitors including local Jeddah residents and visitors from other parts of the Kingdom. According to tourism officials and businessmen, it is expected that the total spending will increase to around SR650 million. Officials attribute the reason to pilgrims visiting Jeddah and the long vacation that people have had since Ramadan 18. The Jeddah Traffic Department has deployed more than 600 police units and motorbikes, mostly located in the Corniche area, the roads leading to it and major shopping malls across the city. The traffic department says it is ready to face the expected huge traffic in the north and middle of Jeddah and that it will work on areas facing the most traffic congestion. According to workers at an amusement park located on the Corniche, they expect a huge crowd of visitors from areas near Jeddah on the first and second day of Eid. The Jeddah amusement parks have added more activities to their programs to attract as many people as possible. The Jeddah municipality has specified large areas for residents at the Jeddah Corniche for residents to enjoy their time. Teams from the Ministry of Commerce are increasing their monitoring operation on sales centers to make sure prices remain stable. Jeddah has good tourism features that would qualify the city to become one of the most important areas in the Kingdom. Attractions include North and South Obhur, the Jeddah Fountain and the central and old Balad area in downtown Jeddah. Jeddah is known for its history and there are plenty of historical places in downtown Jeddah like the Nassiff House, the Al-Shafie Mosque, the Abu Hanifa Mosque, the Al-Shaam neighbourhood, Bab Makkah and the Al-Mazloum neighborhood. |
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