KATMANDU, 2 June 2008 — The Islami Sangh, the biggest Muslim organization in Nepal, congratulated Farouk Saad H. Al-Zuman, the first Saudi to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, at a ceremony here on Saturday night. The ceremony, which was organized with great fanfare, was followed by the release of a Nepali translation of the Holy Qur’an.
Speaking on the occasion, Al-Zuman said that he had been following the footprints of Arab conquerors, scientists and adventurers, which gave him strength and inspiration to scale the heights of Everest. “I am very hopeful that this kind of achievements will inspire Arab and Muslim youths, especially Saudis, to excel in different fields,” he added.
He said that he had been a keen observer of nature since his student days in the US. He also praised Islami Sangh’s initiatives “to translate the Holy Qur’an into Nepali, which is another record in itself.”
The felicitation ceremony was attended by a large number of people, including Dawa workers, members of the Nepalese Parliament, diplomats, women activists, representatives of human rights organizations, police officials and students.
Sultan Al-Bazei, CEO of the Riyadh-based Attariq Communication, said relations between Riyadh and Katmandu have been growing.
“Muslims of Nepal, by and large, had a feeling of better security for their life and properties under the new secular, democratic government following the abolition of the Hindu theocratic monarchy,” he said, adding, “Hence, there is a greater scope of cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the Islamic world.”
Attariq Communication, along with the fast food chain Kudu, has been the main sponsor of Al-Zuman’s expedition.
In his speech, Faizan Ahmed, secretary-general of the Islami Sangh, congratulated Al-Zuman. “Saudi Arabia has always been on the forefront in supporting Muslims and Islamic causes, particularly in this part of the world.... But, Nepal deserves more attention since the Muslims here have fallen into the morass of degradation and poverty,” he said.
He pointed out that “the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is funding a 40-bed hospital in the township of Bhutaha in eastern Nepal.” The Bhutaha General Hospital and Maternity Clinic will start functioning later this year, he noted. “We have contacted the IDB to extend financial help to buy necessary equipment for the hospital,” said Dr. Naseem Ahmad Qasmi, chairman of the Health Services and Relief Association of Nepal, an affiliate of the Islami Sangh.
The facility will cater to the needs of over 500,000 people. He added that the organization had also set up 11 non-profit making schools, where cumulative enrolment of children currently exceeds 3,000. This school project, which employs 120 teachers, has also been funded by the IDB. This is in addition to several scholarships granted by the IDB to Muslim students who pursue professional courses.
Ahmed said Al-Hera Educational Society of Nepal, another affiliate of the Islami Sangh, was seeking support for a Muslim girls hostel.
“More than 85 students have received IDB scholarships so far,” he said, adding that the Riyadh-based World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) has also been funding Islamic projects, especially by building mosques, in the country.
The Islami Sangh, whose several projects are being funded by Saudi aid agencies, was founded in 1985. The organization, which has a mandate to run social and religious institutions for Muslims, plans to intensify efforts to implement more projects as Nepal became a secular republic four days ago.
