Filipino pilgrims expressed thanks and gratitude to the Saudi government for a successful Haj that won appreciation from nearly 4 million pilgrims around the world.
Ali Panda, a scholar and dean at the Mindanao State University King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies, said Muslim Filipinos received a heartfelt welcome on arrival in Saudi Arabia. He thanked the Kingdom through the Supreme Haj Committee for providing efficient service to all pilgrims and particularly to Filipino pilgrims.
Panda is a prominent researcher and lecturer on Islam and on the Palestine issue in particular. He spoke at the International Conference on Freedom of Al-Quds and Palestine in Indonesia in July.
Panda said: “I was here in 2008 and it is amazing to see the huge developments and state-of-the-art facilities and services that have been implemented since then. They are beyond world expectation.”
Panda was referring to the many projects implemented in the region including the Makkah clock — the tallest in the world — and a symbol of the traditional architecture as well as the advancement of Islam. He praised the new railway system and other major expansions currently under way around the Kaaba. He said they serve as a reminder to the international community of the progress achieved by the Ummah under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
He said the large presence of Filipino Muslims strengthens the ties of Islamic brotherhood between the Kingdom and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines.
Filipino pilgrims thank Saudi government
