The ambassador converted to Islam in 2011 “after spending 30 years in Muslim societies” and shortly before his marriage to Huda al-Mujarkech, according to Arab media reports. The picture shows the couple wearing the traditional white robes worn by pilgrims during the hajj.
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Simon Collis was among the 19,000 British pilgrims performing the ritual this year. Simon Collis with his wife Huda in Mecca. He had previously served as Britain’s ambassador to Syria until 2012, when diplomatic relations broke down between the United Kingdom and President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
All able-bodied Muslims are required to perform it once in their lifetime.
Collis, who is fluent in Arabic, thanked her.
British ambassador to Saudi Arabia converts to Islam, performs Haj was posted in World of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on September 15, 2016 and was last updated on September 15, 2016.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed he had converted to Islam but did not comment further, saying it was a private matter.
The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and is one of the five pillars of the faith.
Collins has been posted to Riyadh since 2015 after fleeing Syria where he was Britain’s representative until the civil war there escalated in 2011/12.
His first ambassador post was in Doha, Qatar between 2005 and 2007.
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An estimated 1.8 million people completed the hajj pilgrimage this year. He was the British Consul-General in Dubai (2000-2004) and in Basra (2004-2005).
