King Salman of Saudi Arabia: Father of Pilgrims, anchor of Islamic nations

In Northern Ghana, where I come from, there is a wise saying that "The wheat does not soak in rain waters when a responsible elder is at home".

This adage may be what is playing in the affairs of the current Islamic World. Undoubtedly, the states of the Islamic World, for far too long, are embroiled in conflicts, wars, trade blockades, and deep suspicions.

The rifts and tension within the Islamic World, aside from external influences, originate largely from religious and ideological differences between two major countries - the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which plays the superpower of the Islamic world is ideologically inclined to strict Wahabi Sunni tradition, and its arch-rival, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the epicenter of the Shiites.

These different doctrines and ideologies have created in the Islamic World, two dominant opposing major blocks - the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran - each with its allies.

The Iranian regime suspects that Saudi Arabia is covertly responsible for the incessant pressures and sanctions by Western countries, which Tehran believes are meant to weaken their country and provide the Saudis an advantage over them.

The Saudis on the other hand believe "an independent and free Iran" is a danger to Middle East regional security and stability. These competing factors and hardline positions by the Saudis and Iranians derail the potency of the Islamic world in asserting its real position as a great global power block.

Needlessly, the Islamic World lost thousands of precious lives, which caused enormous pain and irreparable damage to families and loved ones.

I am confounded by the story of Yemen, Syria, and Libya. These conflicts were exacerbated due to the increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The unnecessary tensions among the leaders of the Islamic World, who incidentally have more in common to celebrate than to fight, are weakening their bargaining powers.

The lack of mutual trust among Islamic world leaders not only affect the ordinary people they govern and followers of the Islamic faith but also has far-reaching consequences on themselves.

The toppling of many leaders in the area is instigated by an external force, and supported mostly by one of the countries in the region. The external actors, cognisant of the lack of cooperation among the Islamic states, promote disaffection in other to exert more influence in the region.

The brotherly leaders will all be in peril in the comity of nations if they utterly fail to read the shifting dynamics of regional and global politics. What have become the sanctions of Biden's administration on President Putin after Saudi Araba refused to increase oil production?

The new waves of cooperation are what the Islamic world requires in order to halt the declining fortunes of their economies, invest in infrastructure and security and increase wealth for its people.

This preceding hardcore diplomatic tussle belies the magnanimity of King Salman AbdulAziz Ibn Al- Saud.

As a participant of King Salman Abdulaziz Ibn Al- Saud's Hajj 2023 Guests Program, I am privileged to join other 1,300 guests from about 94 countries across the globe to perform Hajj. The guests’ program is the King's show of love to his fellow Muslim brothers and sisters around the world.

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and obligatory for every Muslim with sound financial means to undertake, at least once in their lifetime. As a royal guest sitting quietly at the lobby of the posh Novotel Mecca Hotel Thakter, a dedicated hotel allocated by the King for his guests, I behold delegates from other countries arrive in groups and being welcomed with pomp and pageantry with Arabian drinks, dates, and coffee.

Excitement beams in the faces of delegates and soon, the lobby of the hotel gathered one big Islamic family. Interestingly, the participants, ordinary citizens, and professionals, are coming from countries some of which are even not friendly with Saudi Arabia, yet the King is magnanimous enough to invite its people to the Program.

On Saturday 24th June, 72 hours before the formal start of Hajj 2023, King Salman issued a Decree, inviting additional 2,000 people from Yemen, Sudan, and families of veterans to join the Hajj.

Per this Decree, King Salma has shown additional love to the global Muslim community. Filled with curiosity, I speak to guests from 53 out of the 96 participating countries in the program about what they think of the program.

There is widespread appreciation of King Salman's generosity. Described by many participants as the father of the Islamic World, the wish of the participants, which reflects the desire of the entire population of the Islamic world, is for King Salman Ibn Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed Ibn Salman to pursue a vigorous pan-Islamic diplomacy to ease tension among Islamic nations if not completely eradicate it.

According to many participants, the recent secret talks between Riyadh and Tehran sent shock waves across some Western capitals. If Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey are on good terms, it will rapidly boost trade and investment in the Islamic world and also improve the security of the Middle East.

The guest's Program is not only bringing pilgrims to Mecca to perform Hajj but is also an important means to build new and progressive intra-Islamic fraternity and friendship. The Saudi Vision 2030 is spot on and aims at transforming the country into a free and prosperous modern state capable of standing up to any country on earth.

As a first-time pilgrim, I, like many others, am extremely impressed by the organizational acumen and competence of the Ministry and officials responsible for the Hajj.

But I have some comments on two issues: wearing sandals or slippers in Masjidul Haram; and the lack of control of taxi operators.

First, as guests of Allah in the hands of the Mecca authorities, I think all pilgrims must comply with a strict “no sandals in Masjidul Haram” policy.

This will forestall the spread of any possible deadly pandemic. Second, some taxi operators within the precinct of Masjidul Haram are fleecing unsuspecting pilgrims by charging outrageous fares. Believers are enjoined by the Holy Quran and Hadith, the Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed(SAW), to support pilgrims and travelers.

This manifested in the behavior of many residents of Mecca who showed profound love and care to pilgrims, including the donation of food, drinks, and water.

There is a need for the Mecca authorities to take urgent action to ensure fairness between taxi drivers and pilgrims. One way of doing this is to provide meters in taxis operating in Mecca to ensure pilgrims are treated fairly by taxi operators, the majority of whom are not citizens of Saudi.

Away from the mischiefs of taxi operators and back to King Salman.

King Salman has a dependable Crown Prince who doubles as the prime minister. The sterling credentials of Mohammed Ibn Salman, affectionately known as MBS, could do magic for the Islamic world if King Salman deploys him into action.

The charisma of the Crown Prince has to be harnessed to achieve this pan-Islamic unification agenda.

The khuttuba in Masjidul Nimra in Arafah on Tuesday by His Eminence, Sheikh Yusuf Ibn Muhammad Ibn Saeed perfectly endorsed the views expressed by many of the King's Program guests. The revered scholar's sermon emphasized unity among Muslim nations and their people, an indication that the time is up for the Islamic world leaders to agree to work together in unison to promote growth, prosperity, and security for all.

Such a feat may not be achieved without agreeing to select a consensus leader who commands the respect of all leaders of the nations, with the influence and capacity to bring others from outside on board.

For 1,300 participants under one roof, the Program organizing team efficiently delivered to the admiration of all guests and proved to be a worthy and competent team of dedicated professionals.

Amazing souls such as Gabriel Shabana, a volunteer translator extraordinaire, and Mr. Abdullah Al-Anazi, spokesman, for the Ministry of Islamic Affairs need to be commended for their profound dedication to duty and for promoting the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

To the crew of Nile TV, a Cairo-based media outlet, and especially Ms.Randa Ahmed, thank you for featuring me to comment on the Program of the King’s guests.

With this emerging dynamics and the unification of the Islamic world, the father of the Islamic world, King Salman Ibn AbdulAziz Ibn Al-Saud is showing great leadership and it’s the prayer of all that Saudi Arabia's government utilizes the charisma of its dynamic Crown Prince Mohammed Ibn Salman, to rapidly promote the Islamic world unification process to affirm the wise saying that the "wheat doesn't soak in rain waters when an elder is a home".

Good health and long reign to you, King of Islamic Unification, Salman Ibn Abdul- Aziz bn Al-Saud.