Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque (AFMC) in Dubai organized a lecture titled “Our Obligations towards Our National Leadership”. The lecture was attended by Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, founder of the Mosque, and schools’ and universities’ students in the mosque’s grand hall as a part of annual events scheduled by AFMC.
The lecturers were Sheikh Dr. Fares Al Mustafa, AFMC religious and cultural advisor, who spoke about the obedience to the ruler and the preservation of the homeland from the perspective of Islamic law; and Professor Issa Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai, who highlighted the importance of education and the priority given to it by the wise leadership.
Abdul Salam Al Marzooqi, General Manager, AFMC in Dubai, welcomed the guests and attendees saying: “Through this event, we aim to instill the love of the homeland in the hearts of our sons and daughters, nurture the feelings of belonging to the homeland, and motivate them to continue the process of construction and development initiated by our founding fathers. AFMC is keen, under the directives of Khalaf Al Habtoor, to hold a variety of cultural and religious activities that can be beneficial to all age groups.”
Then Khalaf Al Habtoor, sponsor of the event, delivered his speech saying: "The UAE has lost one of its loyal men with the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed who accompanied the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and followed their path. The UAE is the jewel of the world embracing people of all nationalities and races. The success of this country is based on the solidarity between the people and the wise leadership in all fields.” He concluded: "The land is synonymous of dignity. We, citizens and residents, must sustain its security and protect it from harm.”
Sheikh Dr. Fares Al Mustafa, AFMC religious and cultural advisor, spoke about the nation’s need to obey the ruler, as this would help it achieve its religious and worldly interests. He added: “The love of the homeland is innate; it is only natural to love the country where we grow up and prosper and feel a belonging to it. God Almighty has linked in the Holy Quran between self-love and the love of the homeland when he said: ‘And if we had decreed upon them kill yourselves or leave your homes, they would not have done it, except for a few of them.’”
Professor Issa Al Bastaki, President of the University of Dubai, underlined the importance of belonging as a pillar for the human being and the society. He said: “Without belonging, the individual cannot defend and protect his/her country and community nor contribute actively to building his/her country. Belonging to the homeland is one of the most important values that educational institutions must strive to nurture among students, given the positive behaviours that it entails, and which should be instilled among young people. Promoting the national knowledge and culture among young people is an imperative in developing the spirit of citizenship and strengthening the belonging to the homeland.”
Dr. Bastaki added that education plays an important role in upbringing an educated generation capable of coping with challenges. He commended the wise leadership that has realized the importance of education from the beginning and has sent educational missions abroad to contribute to the country’s advancement. “The UAE has realized the importance of education from the beginning, in the hope that it would contribute to building a better future,” he concluded.