Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman

The first anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman coincides with a time when the Kingdom has proved itself the superior model most capable of managing, as well as surpassing, all the difficulties surrounding the region, said Princess Hussa bint Salman bin Abdul Aziz.

This is due to the fact that this great edifice is characterized by an unsurpassed depth of loyalty, partnership and a close relationship between the Saudi people and their leadership, a relationship based on stable principles, on faith in God and on a sincere upholding of its unity and creed.

She pointed out that, since King Salman started his state career at the age of 17, he has deftly and diligently sought to consolidate this partnership with all sections of society. He drew ever closer to them and drew them closer to him, thereby presenting a model of the strong relationship between the people and leadership, the fruits of which we witness today in this close unity, mutual support and generous giving.

“My brothers and I have been brought up in an exemplary ‘schooling’ fashion, presided over by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques who implanted in us, from a very tender age, that Saudis with their present, their history, their values and their security, constitute the true wealth of the homeland, at present and in the future,” she said.

“My father, may Allah preserve him, instilled in us the importance of knowledge and of reading as the first and foremost basis of the personality; our home has always been a huge library. The care and attention my father paid toward making reading and seeking knowledge ingrained in all his children is what I appreciate most in him, seeing it as a basic unaffected flow of the innermost soul of a man on whom God has bestowed, among other things, good breeding and culture.

Whenever my father enjoyed a book, he would send copies of it to my aunts (his sisters), to my mother, God rest her soul, to me, to his wife and to his grand-daughters, to all of us unaffectedly and equally with my brothers. Also, at family gatherings and when discussing a cultural, historical or international topic, he would direct his talk to my aunts, my mother and myself, without the least affectation, equally with the men.”

On King Salman’s role in social and humanitarian work, Princess Hussa said: “My brothers and I appreciate immensely that God granted us a father, a mentor and a role model in this sphere, who has inculcated in all of us that an individual’s worth lies in what that individual gives, not in what she/he owns. From a very early age, I saw how our home hosted numerous social cases on instructions from my father and with the full support of my mother, who always looked upon him as her foremost teacher and role model, after her father; they were both young when they married and she had been orphaned of her mother. My father paid great attention to and supported me, directly and through my mother, in the campaign to restrict the marriage of minors, the campaign headed by Princess Moudhi bint Khalid bin Abdul Aziz, the president of Al-Nahdha Foundation. I thank God that those seeds my father implanted in us have become reality, as my brothers, who have all won educational or international recognition in their specializations, God preserve them, have also, contributed to some humanitarian project or other.

There is, for example, the late Fahad bin Salman’s Foundation for Kidney Diseases which has been taken care of after his demise by Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman, may God preserve him. There is also the Society for Handicapped Children, King Salman’s Center for Research in Special Needs, headed by Prince Sultan bin Salman, God preserve him. There is also the Orphans’ Foundation (Insan) which was jointly founded by Prince Faisal bin Salman, God preserve him, when my father was the governor of Riyadh. There is Misk, the charitable foundation set up by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, God preserve him, when he started his studies of law and Islamic jurisprudence, besides other humanitarian works and projects, in all of which my father has brought them up, acknowledging my participation with regard to all that concerns women.

“A most important humanitarian facet, though perhaps indirect, is what Prince Ahmad bin Salman, God rest his soul, has inculcated in me of encouraging women’s opinions through the Saudi Marketing and Research Group (SRMG), which I am proud to say offered me the opportunity to grow up among such models as Dr. Khayriyya Al-Saqqaf and Juhayyir Al-Musa’id, who contributed articles on international economics and politics in the days before the prevalence of Internet search engines. Another was the opening of women’s sections in the various ministries.

It gives me pride also, to say that my mother, the first to enjoy my father’s “school,” was a friend to many such estimable ladies and thoroughly enjoyed women’s cultural activities at, for example, Al-Nahdha Foundation, headed by her sister, Princess Sarah Al-Faisal, and Al-Wafaa Foundation, headed by her sister, Princess Latifa bint Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman. Those were the days before the establishment of proper social and cultural institutions in many of the large cities of the Kingdom, which are provided with and use the latest technologies to allow women to contribute, together with the men, in building up the modern society, without at the same time, contravening the nation’s religion or traditions. My father, may God preserve him, has paid great care to this aspect ever since he was the governor of Riyadh and up to this day; reflections of that care can be seen in numerous establishments and pioneering projects. I can never forget the support and encouragement I received from my father when he passed my greeting to my brother Prince Sultan bin Salman during his space journey, in an interview on that occasion conducted by Saudi Television, with my father and the late King Fahad, God rest his soul. At the time, I was too young to appreciate fully this gesture, but he knew, with his fatherly sense, that that would be vitally significant in consolidating my self-confidence and would inculcate, in the hearts of all my brothers, an appreciation of his daughter.

The charitable and humanitarian deeds of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, God preserve him, has extended to reach the outside world. With full support from King Faisal, King Khalid and King Fahad, God rest their souls, I participated, in my childhood, with my father in the succor bridge extended to Palestine and later, to Bosnia. The late kings trusted him and knew well the vastness of his knowledge not only as a charitable kind person, but also as a historian and deeply cultured person, whose capacity for charitable works could extend to the international arena over and above the duties of his post as governor of Riyadh, in Najd, the beating heart of the Kingdom. This is also what made him, from a very young age, the Sage of the Kingdom, highly learned in justice, history and diplomacy and it is what inculcated in us all the principles of law and human rights, long before the term came into common daily use in the Kingdom and before the state officially recognized it, when King Fahad, God rest his soul, established departments of human rights in some ministries, such as those of foreign affairs and petroleum. These were followed by the expansion under King Abdullah, God rest his soul, which saw the establishment of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, by learned nationals. This was followed by the greatest legacy of King Abdullah, God rest his soul: the embarking on developing the judiciary; this includes numerous interesting facets e.g. the establishment of special courts of justice, which is vital for the protection of the rights of children and women. He was fully aware, God rest his soul, that human rights must begin from ground level, which is why he appointed women to the Consultative Council. He was also aware that developing a woman’s active role could not succeed without an equal development of the role of her male counterpart. All this is now followed by the efforts of King Salman, God grant him longevity, in focusing on massive and wide internal developments after the Yemen war.

It gives me pleasure that my research consolidated that approach to human rights and I am most proud to join a fine group of sincere nationalists, working hand-in-hand with the leadership, to develop human rights in accordance with Islamic jurisprudence, with the reality on the ground and with the place and time under the umbrella of our tolerant religion. Without such a development, the individual will not truly benefit from those rights, since human rights differ in application from one state to another and from one society to another.

“The world at large acknowledged and extolled the above-mentioned works in proof of which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has been awarded medals and high-graded certificates e.g. the Bosnian Medal for Islamic Aid, in recognition of his efforts in support of Islam and Muslims, the UN Shield for reducing the impact of poverty in the world, the Star of Jerusalem decoration, the Sukutona decoration for his efforts in support of charitable foundations in the Philippines, the International Olympic Award for the Middle East and North Africa, in recognition of his efforts, God preserve him, in the field of the disabled and research in special needs.”

Princess Hussa said: “I saw in my father, God preserve him, an exemplary model in the treatment of women and a deep faith in the women of this country, historically, at present and for the future.”

She added that his contributions were numerous from the start, for he was one of the most important men, who set down the content of King Fahad’s historical speech at the Consultative Council, which opened the doors for women’s effective participation. This was followed by his diligent work with King Abdullah, God rest his soul, work that has borne fruit in the first municipal elections in which women took part as nominees, as well as voters.

Now, as we celebrate the first anniversary of his ascension to the throne, we need to look no further than a month or so ago to note the most significant event for Saudi women — the municipal elections in which, as already said, women took part as candidates and voters. The reverberations of that event were felt internationally, as well as regionally.

Princess Hussa said: “I recall when the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was the governor of Riyadh, how he gave instructions for a large independent hall to be built with wide entrances and numerous female employees, especially to facilitate for women the conducting of any business they need to do there.

She drew attention to the speech of King Salman at the inauguration of the fourth year’s work of sixth session of the Consultative Council, where he confirmed the care the state pays to expanding women’s participation in the nation’s development in ways that do not contradict religious tenets and how Saudi women have proved capable of playing a role in all different fields.

She added: “The most significant forms of support can be seen in the continued support the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, God preserve him, gives to Saudi youths intellectually, by means of role modelling and through various establishments. Throughout his career, young men and women have always enjoyed a share in his time and attention. He has, God preserve him, encouraged numerous creative endeavours and established King Salman’s Youth Center which greatly encourages, guides and supports the pioneering efforts of young men and women.”

Princess Hussa also pointed out that the first year of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ rule reveals the Kingdom as a leading and effective force in the world, a guardian of its security and its borders and a supporter of legality in the region.

She confirmed that the war in Yemen sprang from those high ideals and that the operation to restore hope is nothing but a fulfilment of the Custodian’s vision that the Kingdom has an Islamic, national and moral duty which has informed its actions from the very beginning and up to now. Victories realized in any sphere come as blessings from God and as a result of the custodian’s faith in his people and his nation.

Princess Hussa added: “I am proud that my father, God preserve him, has inculcated in me feminine respect. I am proud to be one of the daughters of this nation serving my country with my work which suits my capabilities before viewing myself as his own daughter. I do not represent the daughters of this nation as the king’s daughter, but as a daughter of Saudi, working in her field and enjoying his support equally with the country’s other daughters. I know that women older and more knowledgeable go to confer with him, even before female family members or his wife or daughter. This consolidates my self-confidence because this natural unaffected sincerity in him reflects the support I receive from the sons and daughters of this country, who are actively involved in the academic, social and humanitarian spheres and whose sincerity and love of the homeland are beyond any doubt.

“Their support is given to the deserving, regardless of all other considerations, which all spring from the fatherliness of King Salman, God preserve him, and from his ancestors, God rest their souls, and from the values of our Saudi society. Those who support me view me as Hussa, with my own special capabilities and I see in this the greatest of my human wealth.

Lastly, though by no means least, I see this year as a mere beginning for a future process of giving, strength, development and continued partnership in which our country continues its sovereignty and prosperity while the country’s sons and daughters continue to look forward to a bright future worthy of them and of their country with the leadership and guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, God preserve him.”

Related articles across the web

• GCC chases 'Gulf union' dream at Riyadh summit - Khaleej Times
• ISIS videos call for attacks against Saudi Arabia, slam the anti-extremism alliance
• Confusion clouds Saudi Arabia's coalition against militancy | Reuters
• Effat launches virtual reality research center
• Initial Results Show 5 Saudi Women Elected for First Time
• Human Resources Management in Saudi Arabia
• Pakistan foreign secretary says surprised at Saudi coalition decision
• British war crimes in Yemen
• LOL! ISIS Funder Saudi Arabia announces formation of anti-terror coalition
• Analysts: Saudi Arabia's Clerics Inspire Islamic Extremism