P A Hameed Padubidri, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Dec 28: “It was really impressive and motivating move pulled off by the members of India Fraternity Forum (IFF), who had been successful in getting themselves actively engrossed for the help and services of Hajjis during the last Hajj converge-2010; serving the Hajjis in any respect is a rewarding act by Allah and actually, being Saudis, this should have been done by us," Yahya Al-Afif, officer of Saudi Ministry of Labor, said. It has been reported in a press release by the Forum’s Riyadh unit.
He was addressing the audience as a Chief Guest in a felicitation ceremony that held recently at Royal International School’s Atrium in Riyadh, to felicitate and honor the volunteers of IFF-Riyadh Unit, for their altruistic services rendered for the Hajjis in Makkah and Mina. 255 active members, who were on full of zip in their dedicated services around the clock in helping out the Hajj pilgrims, have been honored and recognized in the ceremony. The members of the Forum had been involving itself in the voluntaristic services often with the cooperation of the World Assembly of Muslim Youths in order to assist and guide the pilgrims every year.
The slide-show that depicted of their active partaking in the last Hajj congregation was showed on the occasion. Various services like guiding the pilgrims to their specific destinations, wheel chairing the sick and old aged people, hand carrying their kits and belongings, linking to the medical services, taking them to the hospitals or medical centers in case of ill-health, facilitating the pilgrims’ relatives and friends to meet each other in the former’s tents and places, providing necessary helps and so on, were extensively presented on the projector. All the dignitaries on and of the dais have applauded the spirited effort of the IFF members.
Mohammad Al-Afif, Official of the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Mohammad Sharief, Officer in Embassy of India were the guests present on the occasion.
Jalaluddin Kannur, Riyadh Unit’s head of Hajj Volunteers team and Abdul Rahim Suratkal from Karnataka State, Faizal Kadunji from Kerala, Allahuddin from Tamil Nadu, Javed from Uttar Pradesh, who were the team leaders of different States’ voluntary groups, have expressed their experiences on the occasion.
“It is our sheer duty to recognize and encourage with great morale the volunteers, who were geared up to lend the helping hands to the “Guests of Allah” without any let up...”Bashir Engapuzham, Coordinator of IFF-Saudi Arabia said in his presidential speech, who presided over the ceremony.
Siddique Basha welcomed the audience and Salim Moulavi proposed vote of thanks.