ID :
43212
Fri, 01/30/2009 - 05:36
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/43212
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIAN APPOINTED AS CONSULTANT TO MASJIDIL HARAM'S EXPANSION By Sabarina Baharom
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- Renowned architect, Prof Dr Ismawi Zen, has become the first Malaysian to be appointed as a member of an international panel of consultants to visualise the expansion and future development of Masjidil Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
He related that it all began when he was bargaining for a pair of cheap
T-shirts in the deafening, famous Namdaemon Market in Seoul, South Korea when
his handphone rang.
The voice on the other side conveyed a message that he had been chosen as
one of the four members of the International Panel of Visioning of Masjidil
Haram, set up on the royal decree by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
"I was asked to attend the first workshop with the other three committee
members from Turkey, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia on Oct 4 and 5, 2008 if I
agreed to the appointment," he said during a public lecture to share his
experience in the panel, at the International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM), near here, Thursday.
Ismawi said there were now six members in the panel which was set up in
September 2008.
"I am the only one from Asia. The others are from Lebanon (two members),
Algeria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia," he said.
As a panel member, he was basically tasked with developing what is
known as the "Vision Brief", a document that outlines the concerns, problems,
opportunities and new paradigm to be incorporated in the planning and design of
the Masjidil Haram.
The brief also outlines what are expected from the 16 international
architect firms chosen to present their proposals based on many aspects,
including rituals, environment, population increase, new materials and
technologies.
"I was involved in the workshops and discussions with these top architects
and finally, we assessed their proposals based on the Vision Brief and made our
recommendations to King Abdullah," said Ismawi.
According to him, this is the third expansion of Masjidil Haram by the Saudi
Arabian government as King Abdullah wants to project a new image of Islam.
"Therefore, we should take this opportunity to turn the mega project into a
model of a unified Muslim world.
"The monarch also recognises that as the custodian of the holy place, it is
his role to look after the pilgrims," he said.
Ismawi said the authorities in Saudi Arabia had forecast that in the next
five years, the number of pilgrims to Mecca was expected to be between eight and
10 million compared to the current 3.5 million.
-- BERNAMA
He related that it all began when he was bargaining for a pair of cheap
T-shirts in the deafening, famous Namdaemon Market in Seoul, South Korea when
his handphone rang.
The voice on the other side conveyed a message that he had been chosen as
one of the four members of the International Panel of Visioning of Masjidil
Haram, set up on the royal decree by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
"I was asked to attend the first workshop with the other three committee
members from Turkey, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia on Oct 4 and 5, 2008 if I
agreed to the appointment," he said during a public lecture to share his
experience in the panel, at the International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM), near here, Thursday.
Ismawi said there were now six members in the panel which was set up in
September 2008.
"I am the only one from Asia. The others are from Lebanon (two members),
Algeria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia," he said.
As a panel member, he was basically tasked with developing what is
known as the "Vision Brief", a document that outlines the concerns, problems,
opportunities and new paradigm to be incorporated in the planning and design of
the Masjidil Haram.
The brief also outlines what are expected from the 16 international
architect firms chosen to present their proposals based on many aspects,
including rituals, environment, population increase, new materials and
technologies.
"I was involved in the workshops and discussions with these top architects
and finally, we assessed their proposals based on the Vision Brief and made our
recommendations to King Abdullah," said Ismawi.
According to him, this is the third expansion of Masjidil Haram by the Saudi
Arabian government as King Abdullah wants to project a new image of Islam.
"Therefore, we should take this opportunity to turn the mega project into a
model of a unified Muslim world.
"The monarch also recognises that as the custodian of the holy place, it is
his role to look after the pilgrims," he said.
Ismawi said the authorities in Saudi Arabia had forecast that in the next
five years, the number of pilgrims to Mecca was expected to be between eight and
10 million compared to the current 3.5 million.
-- BERNAMA
