ARAFAT, 2 February 2004 — The Plain of Arafat was a unique embodiment of unity amid diversity Saturday with people of different races and cultures gathered together with a single aim — to seek God’s mercy.
It was people’s single-mindedness that enabled them to reach out and understand their brothers and sisters despite the language barrier.
“We may not understand their language but we do understand their emotions and thoughts,” said Sarah Afindi, an Iranian pilgrim who was praying beside Farah, an Indian who nodded her head in agreement.
Muhammad Al-Haaj from Tibet was more philosophical.
“Unity is the basic essence of Islam. I don’t understand Arabic and my English is poor but I have been able to communicate with almost all nationalities, through the simplest of all languages — signs,” he said in halting Urdu.
Ali Mahdi, a Sudanese, became friends with Ahmadov of Uzbekistan. “We cannot speak each other’s language but we do understand each other,” said Mahdi who went out of his way to assist Ahmadov in locating his camp in Mina.
Many pilgrims said they have managed to overcome the difficulty posed by language. “We all have one common bond — Islam and that is our language,” said Shehariyar from Pakistan.
The pilgrimage also brought about some family reunions.
“God granted my prayers immediately and I met my brother after 25 years, said Zaheer Ali, 56, of Pakistan.
He migrated to Pakistan during partition. Because he was in the army, he could not visit India but on Saturday, he was reunited with his elder brother, Shaheer Ali, 62. “We did not plan the meeting and it was just by chance on the street near my camp that I recognized him and my heart burst with joy,” said Shaheer.
Nafees Jahan from India also had a reunion with her younger sister Raees Haq whom she had not seen for 10 years. Raees left India for Pakistan after she married a doctor in Karachi.
Despite past bitterness between the South Asian rivals, pilgrims from both India and Pakistan exchanged greetings and many Indians mix with Pakistani friends and acquaintances at their camps in Mina.
Jassim of Iraq was quite comfortable with Saad Al-Ajmi of Kuwait.
“He is my brother in faith and I don’t have any grudge against him,” said Ajmi whose country was attacked and occupied by Saddam Hussein in 1990.
“I don’t feel guilty about Saddam’s actions. He did so many evil things. We Iraqis are not answerable for his deeds,” said Jassim, who is performing Haj for the fifth time.
