AN official Malaysian friend was so excited as he learned that King Salman is visiting his country. He wanted to know all he could to help make the royal trip a great success. "We want him to feel home, to find how much we love him and his country. We wish to know where he would like to go, what he would like to see, what can we do to make his visit memorable and pleasant," he explained. "For us, this is a state visit unlike any other. King Salman is a father figure to us ... the imam of all Muslims. People are in euphoria. This is the third visit of a Saudi monarch, after King Faisal came, in 1970, and King Abdullah, in 2006. Malaysians already know and love King Salman. You won't believe how popular he is in our country, but you will witness how we celebrate his visit!" I told my Malaysian brother that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques believes in Muslim unity and solidarity. Nothing would make him happier than when he sees how Malaysians share his vision and commitment. Like Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, and the rest of the Southeast, Malaysians became Muslims by choice. They liked what they saw in the merchants who came from Arabia — their honesty, nobility and kindness. When they learned that their religion is the source of such beautiful attitudes and values, they followed them on the road to Allah. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques understood all that. He is an avid reader and student of History. Soon after his father, King Abdulaziz, ruled Hejaz, in mid 1920s, he called for an Islamic conference in Makkah, to be held in the holy mosque. Most delegates, then, came from India, Indonesia and Malay. Their countries were still colonized by Europeans — notably Britain and Holland. They appreciated the invitation and showed their care and commitments to the security, stability and prosperity of the Holy Lands under the new King of Arabia. Some had even proposed building a railway from Makkah and Madinah to India, via Iraq and Iran. Like their father, King Saud, Faisal, Khaled, Fahd, Abdullah and now King Salman, have always made it a strategic priority and commitment to unite the Muslim Ummah above all differences. They initiated and supported the Muslim League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (previously the Organization of Islamic Conference), the Islamic Bank, and dozens of other organizations and institutions in all areas of development, science, education, commerce and culture. Recently, we also had the Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism. Saudi Arabia is the land of Islam, the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the home to the holiest Islamic mosques. We pride ourselves in serving the Guests of the Most Compassionate. Our ancestors had raised the banner of Islam and took the Word of Allah to the rest of world. Allah meant for Quran to be written in Arabic. This carries an eternal holy duty for us. We have been chosen by Almighty to be the message carriers. And when some Muslims stray away from the peaceful nature of Islam, it is our duty to correct, explain and reiterate true Islam. In Malaysia, King Salman has seen what he already knows. Muslims regard him as their imam and his country as their motherland. His family history and achievements in solidifying the Muslim World are well appreciated. Muslims celebrate all that and see it in his persona and character. Malaysia has always been close to us. In recent decades, our bilateral relations have been expanding in all areas. Dr. Maszlee Malik, professor of Fiqh in the Islamic University of Malaysia says: "People-to people relations have existed long before Malaysia was formed. In the last decade, Malaysia has become a tourism and higher education destination for many Saudis. Many Malaysians work in Saudi in the oil, gas, financial and medical sectors." Dr. Malik believes that the geopolitical situation in the West Asia had prompted both countries to explore military cooperation. He suggests that «bilateral relations could be expanded further by setting up branches of Saudi universities in Malaysia, and Malaysian colleges in Saudi Arabia, and establishing joint education, research and science programs. "In addition, Saudi Arabia can make more use of Malaysian expertise in the automobile high-tech industries and in the fields of marine science, agriculture and tourism," Dr. Malik concludes. I totally agree. King Salman's visit to Malaysia is a great opportunity not just to celebrate our historical relationship, but also to enhance, expand and build on it. Ameen! Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi
