By NADEEN IBRAHIM | ARAB NEWS
MADINAH: A large number of women Haj guides as well as women pilgrims took part in the Second Women Cultural Forum in Madinah on Thursday.
Inaugurating the gathering, Yousuf bin Ahmad Hawala, chairman of the board of directors of the National Organization for Pilgrims’ Guides in Madinah, underscored the Saudi government’s great efforts to further improve services for Haj and Umrah pilgrims as well as visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque.
Hawala also commended the services extended by women guides to the pilgrims.
“They are engaged in doing the noble service that they have inherited through the ages. A woman guide is either the daughter or sister of a male guide. She was brought up with adequate training to serve the women pilgrims and the visitors,” he said.
Referring to the quarter of a century-long service record of the organization, Hawala said the organization since its inception in 1984 has been rendering services to the pilgrims and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque.
A number of prominent women figures in Madinah delivered lectures at the forum held at the Taiba Hall of Movenpick Hotel. The session was managed by Saha Hashim, dean of the family sciences faculty. In her lecture, Zainab Al-Fil, a prominent woman guide, shed light on the great services rendered by Saudi leaders from the time of King Abdul Aziz until the time of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to the pilgrims.
Her lecture was followed by an audiovisual presentation on the expansion of the two holy mosques from the time of King Abdul Aziz up to the current reign of King Abdullah.
Categories: Asia, Islam, Saudi Arabia, Women Rights
Nice introduction for the pilgrims about the history of the two mosques. The forum can also receive feedback from the women pilgrims who attend, about any problems they may have encountered