WASHINGTON, April 15 (IslamOnline) - Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, a brother of Saudi Arabian monarch King Fahd, has offered to help save Hong Kong's only fully grown date palm.
The 47-year-old tree, in the home of a 69-year-old Muslim grandmother, Ma Yuk-lan, was brought to Hong Kong by her mother- and brother-in-law after a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in 1951.
The government of Hong Kong wants to remove the tree to make way for a new road project.
Hong Kong authorities have offered to replant the tree at a location chosen by Ma at a cost of HK$1 million ($128,000), but she fears it may not survive the removal process.
Enter Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, who through an order delivered by Saudi ambassador to Beijing, Mohammed al-Besher, said that he will bear the cost of replanting the tree and would also give three more trees as a gift to Ma.
The date palm tree, which has become a mascot of sorts for the Muslim community in Hong Kong, represents something ordained by God to Muslims and the tree provided a link between Mecca and the territory, the South China Morning Post quoted the United Muslim Association of Hong Kong as saying.
It is not known if the Saudi rescue offer will have a higher chance of success with Ma than that of the Hong Kong government's efforts.
