Peace and Unity through Culture

Thank you very much for spending some of your times with this Mahallah despite of many tasks to do as we come to the end of November 2015.

Embrace the pride and gratitude in your heart. Today, with the grace and blessings of Allah SWT, we are able to come to this Festival despite of rain.

Mahallah as-Siddiq is so unique for this University. This is the land where all of us share the same aspiration, to obtain the knowledge and inculcate the virtue.

This is also the land where we meet and greet our friends from 39 countries around the world, which represent approximately 45 percent of residents of this Mahallah.

We are so proud to welcome this diversity in this land, where we can appreciate it through unity and integration. That is in line with our National Day Theme for this year, “One Heart and One Soul”. We are not only go for unity and integration, but also for love and respect.

That is Malaysian dream, which according to the Rukunegara, “Whereas our country, Malaysia, nurtures the ambition of achieving a more perfect unity amongst the whole of her society.” I sure that other countries dream the same as well.

As our country is currently hosting the 27th ASEAN Summit, I would like to say that: What we are doing now is a part of ASEAN Way, where we celebrate unity in diversity.

Learn from Sabah, which comprise of 29 races. Its peoples is loving each other, regardless of their religion and race. They respect everyone’s religion. They celebrate and share everyone’s culture. They will be together whatever they have.

Learn from Sarawak, which comprise of 32 races. Its peoples appreciate noble values and patriotism in their life very much. They celebrate themselves as brothers and sisters, no matter what is their religion and race.

That’s the reason Sabah and Sarawak are considered as a role model for Malaysia in term of unity and integration.

As the Garden of Knowledge and Virtue, we should uphold the high spirit of unity and integration in our life as a community like that in Sabah and Sarawak. Integration, as stated in the missions of Triple ICE (IIICE), should not focus only to integration of Ilmu Naqli and Aqli only, but also to integration between peoples regardless of everything that differentiate them.

Reach, meet and greet everyone. Understand each other. Embrace everyone as our brothers and sisters, no matter how old they are, what is their socioeconomic status, where they come from and what is their ambition. Share the joy and sorrow together. Appreciate everyone’s culture. Explore the advantage of unity and integration together by all means.

Consequently, we will be having a united and integrated society in this University, where we can uphold the peace and harmony to its highest level.

Mahallah as-Siddiq Festival 2015 is just a small effort triggered by this Mahallah. This Festival has been religious as we managed to conduct Hifz al-Quran Competition, Slaughtering Practical and, the most important part of Islamic care activities, Funeral Management Course in partnership with Negeri Sembilan Muslim Students’ Society (PPINS) and Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque.

However, this Festival also has been social and cultural, as we celebrate the unity at the Kenduri BBQ, last night, and Cultural Night, coming up shortly, comprising of cultural performances coming from various countries. I wish everyone would enjoy all those performances.

As leaders of this Mahallah, we are so proud to promote, on behalf of this University and Mahallah, as well as to inculcate the spirit of unity and integration, which lead us towards “Generating the True Hope”. On this account, we promise to this University that we will continue uphold this spirit to its highest level.

Even so, it would not be possible unless by the support from all parties, especially in this Festival.

On behalf of the Organising Committee, I would like to take this golden opportunity of expressing my heartiest appreciation to Associate Professor Dr. Hanafi bin Hj. Dollah, Principal of Mahallah, for his unstoppable administrative, operational and financial support towards this Festival.

I also would like to extend the same appreciation to the Steering Committee, comprising of Fellows and Resident Officers of this Mahallah for their strong support in making this Festival a reality.

To our partner, PPINS, I thank you so much for your great effort and support in making this Festival a success, especially Funeral Management Course. This is, indeed, another memorable history for this Mahallah and PPINS.

To Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque, I owe you and your officials very much. The Mosque was already very helpful in making this Festival a true, especially in its Islamic care activities.

To every person or body of persons involved in making the Festival another victorious history for this Mahallah, I thank you very much. Without your prayer, support and advice, this Mahallah, its services and activities would be meaningless.

I also would like to take this chance to apologise, on behalf of this Mahallah, for unavoidable circumstances and shortcomings happened throughout this Festival. We realise that there are rooms for improvement. InsyaAllah we will do better in its next series and other Mahallah activities with more refinement.

We are coming to the end of 2015. Alas, that is not the true end of struggle for this Mahallah and its peoples. We are going to provide more services as well as conducting more activities; if not in these remaining days of this Semester, in the next year.

InsyaAllah next year, this Mahallah will be organising its 20th Anniversary. More services and activities will be made true next year. May Allah ease us in conducting this macro-scaled programme.

We believe that this struggle is meaningful for everyone doing it better sincerely. Our Mahallah is our second home and, thus, our responsibility. In meaning, this Mahallah belongs to everyone living and working for it. This Mahallah appreciate those who struggle in sustaining its good name highly.

However, this Mahallah would be more grateful if it could get more peoples to help it struggling, according to its vision and mission.

For those who joining me there, whether they are a part of this Mahallah or not, I owe you very much.

May Allah reward you for everything you did.

May Allah sustain our strength to “Stand as One” in the future.

May Allah retain us in the spirit of “One Heart and One Soul”.

May Allah bless and grace Malaysia, its friends and their peoples.

Thank you.

AWANG ABDUL MUIZZ BIN AWANG MARUSIN
President, MRC as-Siddiq, IIUM Gombak Campus

Mahallah as-Siddiq Festival 2015 Closing Ceremony
Saturday, 21 November 2015, 9.20 pm
Mahallah as-Siddiq Futsal Court, IIUM, Gombak, Selangor

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