Launch of the Hajj Delegation
Foreign Office
November 11th, 2007
I feel very proud to be here, I think I should start by saying Salam Aleikum and say that it's a real privilege to launch the Hajj Delegation today. Two million Muslim, perhaps a little more, in Britain, and I've read that the Hajj is one of the five pillars of the Muslim Faith.The strength of will, and strength of character, and determination of many British Muslims to make the trip, I think speaks obviously to the devotion within the Muslim community. But it sends a wider message, because as I read it many of the values and instincts that the Hajj is intended to celebrate are ones that all British citizens, whatever their religion or race, would recognize. Commitments to peace, to justice, to the equal worth of all human beings are values that are shared right across all the British community. And I think it's important to emphasize that universal message at a time when we're rightly celebrating the culture and religion of one of Britain's important communities.
Lord Patel you said, modestly, you were leading your eighth Hajj delegation. I know I speak for everyone when I say the leadership you've offered over the years has been inspirational. I think it has made a huge difference both to the Muslim community within the UK, but also to the recognition around the world for the Muslim community here and for the way in which it's an important part of British life right up to and including the House of Lords.
I asked his Lordship on the way in whether this would be a Hajj delegation bigger and better than ever, and he says it's always better, and it's always getting better. And I think your kind words about the Foreign Office officials are important as well there will be consular officials but also medical staff going through. The statistics suggest that 270/280 cases a day need help, this is not just a safety net of support that is provided, but actually I think a very active provision of welfare and health provision and speaks very well for the country.
So my first message is to say I'm proud to be here, and I want to say good luck for the Hajj, but I also want to make a wider point, and Lord Patel himself made glancing reference to the fact this is the only country in western Europe that supports it's Muslim community in this way.
David Miliband launches the Hajj DelegationBI've talked about Britain's unique opportunity to be what I would call a global hub, a place that is plugged into all of the political, economic, social, cultural questions that face the world today. We have that opportunity because of our membership of the United Nations Security Council, we that opportunity because of our membership of the European Union, we have that opportunity because of our membership of the Commonwealth, which is meeting in two weeks time and which brings together representatives of nearly a quarter of the world's population, north, East, South and West, all races, all religions, all regions, and we do so also because of our relationships with other major countries, most notably the United States, which is our single most important bi-lateral relationship.
Those relationships which are the product of history, give us the opportunity to be global hub that provides the ideas, the people, and some of the energy and drive to help build greater safety and security in our shared planet.
But there's a further reason I think why we have an ability to play an important role in foreign affairs. We'll never be an empire again, but we can be an influence in world affairs, and that is that Britain and it's population and increasingly a mirror to world and the Muslim community in the United Kingdom I think are testimony to that, the successes but also the struggles of the Muslim community in Britain in all its diversity, maybe I should talk about the Muslim communities of Britain rather than the Muslim community of Britain. The communities that adhere to the Muslim faith do represent the struggles but also the successes that are seen around the world, and I think that is also a very very important part of Britain's ability to project itself internationally, that we are a place as well as ideas and money come and meet, and that's why the contribution that Muslim citizens make to this country is such an important part of the developing image and developing reality of Britain's role around the world, and to the extent that you take that message not by just performing the Hajj but the way in which you do it, I think also helps send the message about the values that bring us together in this country, common humanity that is important for all of us and the sense of pride we have, not arrogance that everything's perfect here, because that would be a stupid thing to say, but the pride we have that some of the ways different communities are coming together to build a common future is something that we really think deserves wider attention.
So thank you for inviting me and I suppose in conclusion, Hajj Mubarak
Foreign Office
November 11th, 2007
I feel very proud to be here, I think I should start by saying Salam Aleikum and say that it's a real privilege to launch the Hajj Delegation today. Two million Muslim, perhaps a little more, in Britain, and I've read that the Hajj is one of the five pillars of the Muslim Faith.The strength of will, and strength of character, and determination of many British Muslims to make the trip, I think speaks obviously to the devotion within the Muslim community. But it sends a wider message, because as I read it many of the values and instincts that the Hajj is intended to celebrate are ones that all British citizens, whatever their religion or race, would recognize. Commitments to peace, to justice, to the equal worth of all human beings are values that are shared right across all the British community. And I think it's important to emphasize that universal message at a time when we're rightly celebrating the culture and religion of one of Britain's important communities.
Lord Patel you said, modestly, you were leading your eighth Hajj delegation. I know I speak for everyone when I say the leadership you've offered over the years has been inspirational. I think it has made a huge difference both to the Muslim community within the UK, but also to the recognition around the world for the Muslim community here and for the way in which it's an important part of British life right up to and including the House of Lords.
I asked his Lordship on the way in whether this would be a Hajj delegation bigger and better than ever, and he says it's always better, and it's always getting better. And I think your kind words about the Foreign Office officials are important as well there will be consular officials but also medical staff going through. The statistics suggest that 270/280 cases a day need help, this is not just a safety net of support that is provided, but actually I think a very active provision of welfare and health provision and speaks very well for the country.
So my first message is to say I'm proud to be here, and I want to say good luck for the Hajj, but I also want to make a wider point, and Lord Patel himself made glancing reference to the fact this is the only country in western Europe that supports it's Muslim community in this way.
David Miliband launches the Hajj DelegationBI've talked about Britain's unique opportunity to be what I would call a global hub, a place that is plugged into all of the political, economic, social, cultural questions that face the world today. We have that opportunity because of our membership of the United Nations Security Council, we that opportunity because of our membership of the European Union, we have that opportunity because of our membership of the Commonwealth, which is meeting in two weeks time and which brings together representatives of nearly a quarter of the world's population, north, East, South and West, all races, all religions, all regions, and we do so also because of our relationships with other major countries, most notably the United States, which is our single most important bi-lateral relationship.
Those relationships which are the product of history, give us the opportunity to be global hub that provides the ideas, the people, and some of the energy and drive to help build greater safety and security in our shared planet.
But there's a further reason I think why we have an ability to play an important role in foreign affairs. We'll never be an empire again, but we can be an influence in world affairs, and that is that Britain and it's population and increasingly a mirror to world and the Muslim community in the United Kingdom I think are testimony to that, the successes but also the struggles of the Muslim community in Britain in all its diversity, maybe I should talk about the Muslim communities of Britain rather than the Muslim community of Britain. The communities that adhere to the Muslim faith do represent the struggles but also the successes that are seen around the world, and I think that is also a very very important part of Britain's ability to project itself internationally, that we are a place as well as ideas and money come and meet, and that's why the contribution that Muslim citizens make to this country is such an important part of the developing image and developing reality of Britain's role around the world, and to the extent that you take that message not by just performing the Hajj but the way in which you do it, I think also helps send the message about the values that bring us together in this country, common humanity that is important for all of us and the sense of pride we have, not arrogance that everything's perfect here, because that would be a stupid thing to say, but the pride we have that some of the ways different communities are coming together to build a common future is something that we really think deserves wider attention.
So thank you for inviting me and I suppose in conclusion, Hajj Mubarak
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