His Majesty King, in the presence of His Royal the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, patronized a ceremony held at Isa Cultural Center to honour the winner of 2011-2012 Isa Award for Service to Humanity, Dr. Jameela Mahmood, the founder of the Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia).
On arrival, HM the King was received by Deputy Premier and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity, Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.
Following is the text of HM King’s speech
It is a memorable day, both in the life of this nation and personally, to be celebrating the life of our father, His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, may he rest in peace, and to take this time to remember his qualities and the merits of his humanity.
On this occasion, we should take time to consider the values and principles which he embodied, and which, after he left us, have remained in our hearts as facts of love, kindness and loyalty.
And so we have decided to inaugurate this award bearing his name, the Isa Award for Service to Humanity, which witnesses its first session, to serve as a role model, a catalyst, and a beacon that illuminates the lives of Bahrain’s dedicated sons and daughters, helps them lay the foundations for coexistence, and promotes the virtues of humanitarian service.
There are many pictures of our father; the leader and the man who built a strong, unified nation open to the world and humanity; pictures still present with us till today.
He was the Prince and Commander in Chief, the father of all, a brother to all, friend of every one of his people and a great man, who was loved and respected by the whole world.
A man who gave us so much humanitarian credit that shall remain with us for generations to come, a man who was the truest embodiment of Bahrain’s tolerance, humanity and urbanization.
When we established this Award, and issued a decree to modify it, we were determined to ensure that the winner would be fully deserving of this honor, regardless of any ideological or geographical or national consideration.
The Award’s ultimate purpose is dedication to serving humanity. An award that crosses borders, an award to honor the noblest human qualities.
This Award reflects our firm belief that the people of Bahrain are an exemplary model of harmony and brotherhood, their relationships built on strong foundations, and living in an atmosphere of democratic openness, through the consolidation of principles such as coexistence, solidarity, and tolerance.
The same values by which His Highness father Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, may he rest in peace, lived have inspired many by his sincere humility, his proximity to his people in good times and bad, and in his helping his people reach their aspirations, making them open to the world.
The life and achievements of the late Amir are an incentive for each person seeking and working to serve mankind by trying to alleviate human suffering wherever it is happening, and we stand here to appreciate and pay respect to those people who work to serve humanity without waiting for worldly rewards, yet only seek that their work is accepted by Allah.
It is an immense pleasure that the first person to win this Award is a virtuous lady, famous for her distinctive achievements in the field of helping individuals and groups, whether in her native land, Malaysia, or anywhere on earth where a need for humanitarian intervention exists: Dr. Jameela Mahmood.
The path of Dr. Jameela Mahmood is paved by selflessness and dedication to spreading humanitarian work and raising awareness of human rights.
Her remarkable work began by her personal efforts to help people in need in her country, and she subsequently expanded her mission to engage various institutions, and both public and private organizations, to contribute to humanitarian efforts inside and outside Malaysia.
As we express our heartfelt congratulations to Dr Jameela Mahmood, we would also like to take the opportunity to express our appreciation to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, members of the Board, Nominating Committee and the arbitral tribunal for their all effort, diligence and high standards of objectivity and fairness, and their impartiality in the selection of the winner.
As this Award highlights the nature of the Bahraini people’s benevolent characteristics of solidarity and brotherhood and their selfless nature in trying to ease the suffering of humans anywhere in the world, we would like to invite young people again to work for the future of this nation and the good of humanity, thankful for their presence to celebrate this Award, which commemorates our late father, Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, may he rest in peace.
We ask Allah that Isa Award for Service to Humanity adds value to, and is supportive of, humanitarian work, both in the Kingdom of Bahrain and around the world.
We also hope that this Award becomes a beacon that evokes the principles and works of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and of his humility and love of humanity, may his soul rest in peace.