RIYADH, 18 January 2005 — The World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) will distribute baskets of food among the poor, orphans and the needy all over the Kingdom during the run-up to Eid Al-Adha.
Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaibi, secretary-general of WAMY, told Arab News that the distribution of food baskets was part of its long-term plan to distribute 100 million baskets over the next five years. Each basket will consist of rice, macaroni and sugar to last one month for a Saudi family of seven members.
This charitable program will run parallel to the distribution of one million copies of the Holy Qur’an in Africa.
“We have already given away 400,000 copies of the Qur’an to people in Africa. We hope to achieve our target within the next three years,” Dr. Al-Wohaibi said.
WAMY has also lined up cultural programs for women and children. Under these programs, which will be handled by its women’s committee, there will be ‘Basmatul Eid’ (‘Smile of Eid’) cultural show at Lailaty Hall near the King Saud University campus. Open only to women and children, there will be an admission fee for the show which will feature songs, drama and other entertainment items.
Referring to WAMY’s involvement in the Haj program, the secretary-general said they will be hosting 200 pilgrims on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd. “We shall take care of them right from the airport to Makkah and other pilgrimage sites over the next 20-25 days.”
To this end, the organization will distribute 10,000 Haj meals. Each pilgrim will receive a basket consisting of seven books in Arabic or English relating to Haj rituals, Islam and the beliefs of a Muslim, code of moral conduct, and other relevant literature.
Dr. Al-Wohaibi said WAMY will also slaughter 500 sheep and the sacrificial meat will be handed out to the poor people in the Haj areas. “We depend on donations for carrying out these tasks. Donors are welcome to visit our office and obtain a receipt for every contribution. Our food distribution program is being handled by a local company with which we have signed a contract.”
As for tsunami relief work, he said they have been actively involved in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. While it is very difficult to arrange food supplies to the severely affected areas of Indonesia, the situation is manageable in Sri Lanka and Thailand, where relief operations are in full swing.
