Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh, who was the guest of honor at the ceremony, emphasized the importance of disseminating the message of Islam among the expatriate community. “Islamic propagation is the duty of every Muslim,” he said.
He urged non-Muslim guest workers to make use of the dawa centers in various parts of the Kingdom to learn more about Islam and remove their misconceptions about its teachings.
“We are now in the process of revamping the dawa centers across the country in order to make them more effective in carrying out their mission,” the minister said. There are about 260 dawa centers in various parts of the Kingdom.
“It is our religious duty to enlighten non-Muslim guest workers in the Kingdom about the message of the Qur’an and Sunnah (teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him),” he said.
“The embracing of Islam by a large number of expatriate workers in the Kingdom in a single year shows that Islam is spreading fast despite the strident smear campaign against the religion by its enemies,” said Faisal Al-Shami, deputy director of IEF.
He said the majority of non-Muslim expatriates in the Kingdom are interested to learn about Islam. “Among them, there are a few people who show enmity toward Islam and we try to engage them through constructive dialogue. There is another group of expatriates who do not give any value to religious faith,” he said.
Al-Shami said more than 7,000 expatriates of different nationalities have accepted Islam at IEF during the last 15 years. “We provide them with intensive courses on Islam to strengthen their faith and assist them to perform Haj,” he said.
James Bradley, 63, a British consultant of a Saudi company, who embraced Islam last year was supposed to attend Friday’s ceremony, but he died five months after his conversion to Islam. He had adopted Jamal as his new name.
A Protestant Christian, Bradley came to Saudi Arabia when he was 31. During the last three decades he had often expressed his desire to accept Islam, said Al-Shami. After pronouncing the Shahada (that there is no god but God and Muhammad is the Prophet of God), he said he felt like his heart has been cleansed.
IEF, having offices in Alhamrah, Corniche and downtown Jeddah, operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance. It organizes lectures, seminars, competitions and Umrah trips. “Our programs are aimed at highlighting Islamic faith, values and teachings and protecting Muslim youth and families from un-Islamic thoughts and ideas,” said Ismaeel Abu Taleb, manager for public relations and resource development.
