Dammam — Yusuf al-Qudaib
Dr. Abdulwahid bin Hamad al-Mazrou, director of Dammam’s Cooperative Office for Call, Guidance and Community Awareness, said the office receives about 100 non-Muslims of different nationalities working in the Eastern Province each day who express a wish to embrace Islam, having found tolerance and openness in it.
He said the office received about 800 new Muslims during the previous year, 1436 AH. Speaking at the weekly cultural gathering “Al-Huqail Monday Forum” in Dammam the evening before last, he said the office, founded in 1413 AH, had by God’s grace persuaded about 800 non-Muslim foreign residents to enter Islam.
The office works in the market area and the geographic district assigned to it. It offers programs, lessons and activities for both Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
One distinctive project is “Work and Hope.” The office coordinates with major companies, clinics and hospitals to visit workers at their workplaces and accommodation, provide entertainment, raise awareness and invite them to Islam. Al-Mazrou said the program had led many to embrace the religion.
“The Gift of a Lifetime” is offered to residents during their first year of arrival and work in the kingdom. Implemented at the medical fitness center for worker examinations, it provides gifts and multilingual booklets explaining local culture and Islam’s tolerance. He said this led many to embrace Islam through conviction.
The iftar camp serves about 5,000–7,000 visitors daily. Some non-Muslim visitors convert after seeing Muslims gathering in brotherhood.
The office also holds seminars, lectures and lessons. A school for community members’ children provides weekend classes in the Quran, Arabic and monotheism, benefiting about 600–800 boys and girls from different language backgrounds.
Youth programs operate through volunteer teams. “Irwa” provides water in summer and “A Touch of Warmth” in winter. “Make Them Happy” works during festivals. “Sawaed” carries out activities such as cleaning mosques and visiting patients and older people at Dhahran’s convalescent hospital and specialist centers. The office also organizes public camps on ethics and values in Dammam.
The “Bunyan” team includes girls and offers programs focused on girls from families in need, distributing assistance discreetly and respectfully so as not to hurt their feelings or dignity.
The office sponsors four sports teams in Dammam. They compete in many tournaments and have won some. Their awareness activities include launching a loyalty board for soldiers and wearing slogans such as “Our soldiers are in our hearts” and “Our security is a trust.” The office also held a workshop for 35 young men to protect them from deviant ideology.