Paternal grandmother of U.S. President Barack Obama attended an exhibition detailing the life of the Prophet Mohammad at the end of a pilgrimage in the Saudi city of Makkah, local media reported.
Sara Omar, who is in her 90s, arrived in Makkah – considered in Islam to be the holiest city – with her son and grandson Saeed and Mousa Obama.
Unlike the Hajj pilgrimage – a trip to the cities of Makkah and Madinah which every able-bodied Muslim is expected to undertake at least once in their lifetime – Umrah can be undertaken at any time of the year.
After finishing Umrah, Omar visited an exhibition about the life of the Prophet, commenting that it was a “good example” of what she called the moderate teachings of Islam.
“I am very happy to visit this exhibition, which is a good example for the propagation of Islam in a modern way, supported by scientific and authentic documents,” local daily Arab News quoted her as saying.
The Arabic-language Akhbar meanwhile said Obama’s grandmother cried during her visit to the exhibition.
Obama is a Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life but his father is of Muslim heritage from Kenya. Obama said both his American mother and Kenyan father were not devout.
Courtesy: AL ARABIYA
