Father of slain Sudanese soldier visits son’s grave in Madinah, thanks King Salman for hospitality
MINA: Over the past seven decades of his life, Sudanese Fadlullah Amr, said only one memory will remain in his mind and that was when he received a call from the Sudanese Ministry of Islamic Affairs informing him that he was invited by the Saudi government to perform Hajj this year as a guest of the King Salman program for Hajj and Umrah.
But this was no coincidence. Amr was the father of a Sudanese soldier, Al-Noorain, who died earlier in Yemen as he was a member of the Sudanese military troops taking part in Operation Decisive Storm against Houthi and Saleh militias. King Salman instructed that families of all those who had died in the battle against the anti-legitimate government militias in Yemen, in recognition and appreciation to the deceased soldiers’ services, be hosted for Hajj this year.
Noorain had served 17 years in the Sudanese army and held the rank of sergeant. He was chosen to take part in the military operations in Yemen, his father said, adding that his son used to call his family almost every week and checked on every member of the family.
“After my son left, I had to depend on myself to take care of the family. Mostly, I used to work in the livestock market to make my family’s ends meet,” he said. The Sudanese pilgrim recalls his last chat with son over the phone last Ramadan.
“It was a strange call because he had told me that I would be performing Hajj this year, as if he knew what was going to happen. The next day we received a call from the town mayor informing us that my son was killed in the battle,” Amr said, adding that he takes pride in what his son had done in defense of the righteousness against the deviants.
As for the reason of burying his son in Al-Baqi Cemetery, he said: “Noorain always hoped he would be buried in Al-Baqi Cemetery [in Madinah so his wish came true and he got what he wanted. As for me, the unexpected has happened and I was chosen to be one of the guests of the king’s program for Hajj and Umrah, and now I can realize my new dream of visiting his tomb in Madinah.”
He said his happiness is beyond describing for being invited to perform Hajj, expressing his gratefulness to Saudi Arabia and to King Salman for this unforgettable gesture.