Briefly, I converted to Islam after 30 years of living in Muslim societies and just before I married Huda’.
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The father-of-five was pictured in the traditional white robes worn for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim must make at least once in their lives.
A picture taken on September 9, 2016 shows a general view of Muslim pilgrims from all around the world circling around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, in the Saudi city of Mecca. He had previously worked as the UK’s ambassador to Qatar and part of the diplomatic corps in Bahrain, Tunisia, India, Jordan and Dubai.
The 60 years old Simon Collis said that he made a decision to convert to the Muslim religion after he spent nearly 30 years in Islamic societies’.
British newspaper The Sun also carried the story about ambassador’s conversion to Islam, citing Arab media reports.
Well wishers tweeted their congratulations to Mr Collis and his wife, to which he replied “Thank you and Eid Mubarak”, wishing them a blessed Eid festival.
The 60-year-old Collis, who made the holy trip with his wife Huda Mujarkech, is the first United Kingdom ambassador to perform Haj.
The UK Foreign Office refused to comment on the news, saying the ambassador’s religion was a personal matter.
The ambassador has been based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, since 2015. The 65-year-old pilgrim, Fatima Saleh Izz al-Din Gurashi, died while performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
In a related move, Hajj and Umrah Ministry spokesman Hatem Qadi said more than 256,000 people were arrested at 21 ports for not having the necessary Hajj permits and 100,000 vehicles were prevented from transporting undocumented pilgrims.
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From 1996 to 1999 he was deputy head of mission in Amman, Jordan from 1996-1999.
