JEDDAH, 13 December 2006 — For millions of Muslims around the world, coming to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj is the dream of a lifetime. That dream almost became a nightmare for Indian pilgrim Rasheeda Begum and her ailing husband during their 2004 pilgrimage to Makkah.
“I discovered that the money we had brought with us was gone,” she recalled in an article which appeared in India in an Urdu daily. “I don’t know if it was stolen, or we just dropped it somewhere accidentally. We had no money on us. The amount was nearly SR3,000 which is almost 40,000 Indian rupees. That is quite a sum for travelers.”
The couple had prepared for their trip by attending a Haj training camp in India where they learned about the physical challenges of the pilgrimage and also about coexisting in peace and harmony with millions of other pilgrims in the holy cities. “Nobody really told us or prepared us as to what or who we should go to in the event of losing our valuables and money,” she said. “Not knowing what to do only added to our woes. We could barely speak Arabic, but we did ask somebody for directions to the nearest police station in order to lodge a complaint. Recovering the money was definitely not an easy task.”
Their luck changed for the better when the volunteers of the Indian Pilgrim Welfare Forum(IPWF) heard of their plight. “Somebody directed us to the Indian mission volunteers in Makkah who took us to their offices in Makkah’s Misfalah district. There we were given SR2,000 on the spot — just a few questions asked. They took down our Haj cover numbers and made us sign a paper that essentially said in the event that we recovered our money, we would pay their money back. That was it. I was literally in tears. I never expected such a thing in a foreign land.”
Rasheeda Begum and her husband are among the hundreds who have been aided by the IPWF since its founding in 1997. Former Indian Consul General Afzal Amanullah came up with the idea for the not-for-profit organization after a massive fire in the tent city of Mina that year left scores of pilgrims, especially Indians, penniless. It was the IPWF that saved the day for many that year by lending money to the distressed pilgrims. The fund is linked to the Indian Consulate General in Jeddah and is overseen by a group of Indian expatriates who want to give something back to the community. The fund never has actively sought donations from the general public, opting instead to raise the needed funds either from themselves or through cultural events, such as last year’s India Festival which was organized by the Indian Consulate in Jeddah.
One of the key sources of funding for the organization is the annual mushaira (poetry-reading session). “By being so popular among the expat community, the mushaira attracts a lot of attention from Jeddah’s corporate world,” said Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, the Indian consul general. “The marketing people in various firms which cater to Indian expatriates see the mushaira as the event to make their service or product visible by putting up banners in the auditorium where the mushaira takes place. All the resulting proceeds from such sponsorships are given to the IPWF.”
India’s diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia also acknowledges the organization’s contributions. “Haj is a tough job and a massive affair. To take care of the nearly 157,000 pilgrims is not easy,” said Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farouk. “We need the help of everybody — both here in Saudi Arabia and in India. The IPWF is performing a good service for pilgrims, especially pilgrims who find themselves in distress. The fund has an excellent network of people who are responsive and have helped by dispensing much-needed cash in only a matter of hours.” The ambassador and the consul general were particularly touched by the organization’s donation of a pick-up truck to the Indian Haj mission this year. “We appreciate their efforts,” said Haj Consul Dr. Suhel Ejaz Khan.
This year, the IPWF has launched a women’s division of volunteers who distribute ihrams (the special clothing one wears when performing Haj) among women pilgrims from India. “Our women volunteers, who are actively encouraged by Farha Sayeed, wife of the Indian consul general, go to most of the buildings in Makkah and Madinah where the pilgrims are staying and try to raise their morale, to keep them in good spirits, and let them know where the nearest health care facilities are,” said Saleem Quadri, IPWF general secretary.
“What the IPWF is doing is only a drop in the ocean,” Farha Sayeed said. She recalled a situation she encountered last year. “I saw an elderly couple sitting on the pavement for quite some time,” she said. “We passed them by after every prayer we said at the Grand Mosque. They were always there so we casually inquired why they were sitting there and not going to their accommodations. Their reply stunned us. They said they had been evicted from their room by other pilgrims. ‘Why didn’t you complain?’ we asked them. ‘We have no idea who to complain to.’ So they simply came down out of the building and sat there, contemplating what they should do next. If we had not spoken to them, God knows for how long they would have stayed there. It is in such situations that IPWF volunteers are helping people. It is not just about dispensing cash to those who have lost their money.”
Another new service the IPWF is offering is training classes for pilgrims already in the Kingdom. “Our aim is simple: Help the pilgrims in whatever way we can,” said Shabbir Patel, current president of the IPWF. “This year we are distributing a practical guide for Indian Haj pilgrims. The consulate has made it available in a number of languages and the guide is helping pilgrims quite a bit.”
You probably won’t hear much more about the IPWF in the press. It operates quietly — out of the limelight — ensuring that the Haj remains a dream come true for Indian pilgrims. “We always wanted and still want to do our work quietly,” Patel said. “We are trying to do our bit to help the guests of Allah.”
