The RAF led the UK Armed Forces contingent on the annual Hajj pilgrimage, along with 2.5 million Muslims from around the world.
Nine Muslims from across the UK Armed Forces have been selected to accompany Imam Asim Hafiz OBE, Chief of Defense Forces and Islamic Religious Adviser to Service Chiefs, for this important security engagement and religious event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). .
Hajj means ‘intention to travel’ and is the fifth pillar of Islam. All Muslims who can afford it must undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Muslim holy city, and nearby places of historical importance.
At the invitation of the KSA Armed Forces, the UK delegation traveled from Makkah to Mina, Arafa, Mustalifa and finally Madinah. The Hajj provided an opportunity to develop a better understanding of the values of service, strengthen ties between participating nations, and enhance the spiritual well-being of the participants.
During the visit, the UK delegation held high-level religious and cultural engagements with senior military officers of the KSA Armed Forces and other participating countries such as Malaysia, Jordan, Indonesia, USA and Bangladesh.
Ahead of the start of Hajj on June 23, the delegation visited British Consul General Cecil El Belidi in Jeddah to coincide with Armed Forces Day.
They sometimes performed various Hajj activities in testing conditions to complete the pilgrimage, recorded as the largest Hajj in history with over 2.5 million in attendance.
All 10 employees successfully performed Umrah and Hajj.
The UK Armed Forces Pilgrimage was led by Flight Lieutenant Maricar, Communications Engineer at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire; he said:
Performing the Hajj was an amazing experience and I was very proud to lead the UK Armed Forces team. I am very grateful to Royal Air Force and KSA Armed Forces for giving me this opportunity. I met wonderful people and I have unforgettable memories.
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