LONDON,
December 21, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Great
Britain is the only Western country that dispatches an official hajj
delegation, UK Foreign Secretary said during the launch of the 2006
British hajj delegation at the Islamic Cultural Center.
"The
fact that the Government is supporting pilgrims on the Hajj highlights
the extent to which we in Britain live in a truly multi-cultural
multi-religious society. No other Western country provides this kind
of delegation," said Jack Straw during the launch of the seventh
hajj delegation Tuesday, December, 20.
Medics,
advisors and Foreign Ministry officials will accompany the 25,000
British pilgrims this year, reported Reuters. The official delegation
is chaired by Lord Patel.
"The
Hajj delegation is a symbol of the central role which Muslims play in
the life of this country. Our record on integrating ethnic and
religious minorities – and just as importantly on respecting their
different cultures and protecting their religious freedoms – is
second to none.
The
United Kingdom is home to two million Muslims, who make a vital
contribution to every aspect of life in Britain and are leaders in
politics, business and the arts," Straw said.
The
relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in the UK are a model for
others, according to Patel. "The UK is an example to be followed
in offering facilities and services to all its people," he said.
Lord
Patel, a Muslim of Gujarati Indian origin, was born in 1940 and was
raised to the peerage as Baron Patel of Blackburn, of Langho in the
County of Lancashire in 2000.
He
has special interests in community and social work, education, race
relations, economy and regeneration.
A
leaflet, which has information on services offered by the mission and
advices to pilgrims to make sure that the get vaccinated against
meningitis, was issued Tuesday.
"We
have distributed a redesigned leaflet giving general advice and
information for pilgrims to 280 mosques and to Islamic groups and
doctors serving Muslim communities (in the UK)," Straw said.
"Performing
the Hajj is an experience which is both spiritually emotionally and
physically demanding. It can mean walking for long distances in fierce
heat and in large crowds," Straw said, noting that the British
official delegation had provided help for 4,100 British pilgrims last
year.
Hajj
consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential
concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of
Prophet Abraham and his family.
Every
able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must
perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, once in their
lifetime.
Clinic
Venue
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"The UK is an example to be followed in offering facilities and services to all its people," Patel said.
|
"This
year, the clinic will be based in a new venue – the Al-Hateem hotel
on Ibrahim Al-Khalil street. And again, we’ll be running two
separate clinics and waiting areas for male and female pilgrims which
will provide medical treatment free of charge to those who need
it," Straw said.
He
pointed out that consular services are available to all British
communities. "And it's equally vital that these services reach
out to people from all of Britain's many communities; and that people
from those communities know about these services and use them. Our
embassies and consulates abroad are there to help all British
people," he said.
Challenges
But
Straw said that his country still faces real challenges in ensuring
that all British ethnic communities play a full role in the society.
"We
still face real challenges in ensuring that all members of minority
ethnic communities play a full role in every aspect of British life.
And all of us – politicians, religious leaders and citizens alike
– need to be confident in standing up for the benefits we get from
living in such a tolerant, democratic society," he said.
The
British minority in Britain, estimated at some 1.8 million people, has
been facing soaring racist attacks and media onslaughts since the July
7 attacks.
