JEDDAH, 11 February 2003 — Many US Muslims realized their dream when a group from the American Society of Muslims performed Haj this year. There were doctors, lawyers, teachers and other pillars of the community among them, all of whom help to maintain the basic structures of US society.
Judge David Shaheed told Arab News that he became a Muslim 30 years ago. He is the group leader of a delegation of 1,000 US Muslims who have been educated, guided, and led in Islam by Imam W D Mohammed. It is the second Haj for Shaheed, his first having been completed in 1987.
“At Jeddah airport, the processing was handled a lot better than before. The way Hajis are treated made us feel wanted. Everyone tried to make the process move more smoothly.”
The group particularly appreciated two books with Hadith about Haj and Umrah given them to read while they waited.
“These considerations show an attitude of concern toward the non-Arab Hajis from the West,” Shaheed said.
Many people in the group find daily life difficult because of their choice of Islam and have had to make great efforts to come to Haj.
Shaheed spoke of the changes he saw in the Kingdom between when he came on his first Haj and now.
“There are major differences in terms of what happens at the Harem in Makkah,” he pointed out.
“The government has made things easier for the pilgrims. Everything is much more welcoming, more convenient and better organized.”
“We are often in need of help, as most of us cannot speak Arabic although we really want to,” he continued.
“In any case, now so many Saudis speak English they are opening the door of Islamic knowledge for us. We nevertheless realize that without knowing Arabic we are cut off from the higher levels of growth and development that the serious study of Islamic wisdom in Arabic conveys. That is why many in our association have become serious Arabic language students.”
