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In July of 2005 I experienced the vacation of my
life. I had always
dreamed of traveling to China and the experience has truly been
one
to remember. The accommodations were superb! Throughout our
travels,
we had access to excellent accommodations, Halal meals and
visits to local
masajid. Not only was I able to experience the historical sites
in
China such as the Great Wall, Kung-fu demonstration, Kunming
Cultural
Park, and the In Terrocotta but the Chinese Islamic Culture as
well.
MM Holidays exposed us to famous Islamic and
Chinese Calligraphers, student performances in the Islamic
Schools, and we were given exceptional
hospitality from the Muslims in Zhaotong (Yunnan) with an
in-home dinner. As
Muslims, we were given exclusive access to the Musallah in Xi'an
Grand
Mosque during prayer time and in every city we were greeted with
excellent tour guides who were knowledgeable of the tourist and
Islamic sites.
As an educator I have been able to expose my faculty and
students to
traditional and Islamic Chinese culture in a way that many had
never
experienced. Many of my co-workers were unaware of the number
of
Muslims in
China
and marveled at the artifacts I brought from my trip including my Arabic-Chinese Qur'an and calligraphy samples.
I will treasure the experience in China forever. The work that
Mariah Mah does is truly commendable. When I witnessed the
students excelling in Islamic education in very modest
facilities with limited resources,I
was reminded of the verses in the Qur'an that say,
"On no soul does Allah place a burden greater
than it can bear" (2:286) & Surah Rahman, asks, "Which of the
favors of your Lord will you deny?"
Since I have returned home I am more energized to
study this religion and to help those in need no matter where
they reside.
I hope to return with my son to China next summer
and God willing, I will use MM Holidays again.
Katherine Khalilah
Shamsid-Deen
Atlanta, GA USA
Salaam
I wanted to share this with you incase you are
ever thinking of going to China, I would highly recommend going
with Sr. Maria’s tours which take you through China exploring
the Muslim history. I met Sr. Maria last summer when I went on a
tour of the far east with Nawawi Foundation. Sr. Maria was the
organizer of the tour. I arrived in
Singapore a bit
before my tour and thought I would have to make my own way to
the hotel but to my surprise this wonderful woman was there to
get me. She was so generous that she offered to host me at her
home. The generosity I saw at the airport continued for the
whole time I was there. Her home was a heaven for people to drop
by. She was always there for everyone at the drop of a minute.
Her home keeper, Fatima, was treated more like a sister and
never like a maid! Her friend’s children were staying with her
so they could attend good school in Singapore. I got to read
articles about her wonderful work for Chinese Muslims. Sr. Maria
was so flexible and was always there to make all of us at home.
She mingled with everyone and shared her immense knowledge with
us. I would love to go to China
with her and would recommend her anytime. Feel free to forward
to anyone who might be interested.
Sakina
Toronto,
Canada
"It was not a holiday as such
but an eye opener, an experience that we will always cherish due
to your kindness and strength. Even when I suggested to you if
we could stay one night in Xian, you made it possible.
Jazakallah for that. Nothing was impossible to you. What a
wonderful person you are. May Allah swa bless you, give you
strength and reward you for all your effort. Subhanallah.
We would also like to express
our sincere gratitude to all your contacts and friends we met
on our trip, their hospitality all their assistance they gave us
to facilitate our trips. As my husband said in his speeches '
You have a cold climate here, we too have a cold climate in the
U K, however your hearts are warmer.' "
Swaleha Esoof—
Watford, Herts, UK
27th April 2007
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