Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Princess Sultana: The secret of sincere love | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Death, with all of its sorrowful manifestations, gives rise to feelings of loss, however due to the departed’s strong and charismatic presence, her family’s sadness will be greater. Indeed there is nothing as grievous to the spirit and the heart as the pain of loss, for nothing is more painful to the spirit and body than this. This is because the bitter taste of such loss can be felt night and day, and nobody can live with this or contain it. The bitterest feeling is manifested by death. This death deprives this country of an important embodiment of love, Princess Sultana Bint Turki Bint Ahmed al-Sudairi. This is a fate that awaits everyone in this world; it can happen at any time, as fast as lightening. Death is the unexpected visitor who enters without permission to take whatever and whoever he wants, leaving behind a state of shock and silence and helplessness and a post-storm calm. Death is the ultimate judgment that cannot be abrogated or appealed; it is not open to postponement or intercession. Death does not discriminate between one person or another, or between a good person and a bad one. Death is the bitter truth that reminds us, in every moment, of our inability, weakness, and humility. It is God Almighty’s power over us, over the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the great and the humble, the rulers and the ruled.

Princess Sultana, may God rest her soul, possessed an enormous capacity for love that she generously bestowed upon everybody she met during her lifetime. Her marriage to Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz placed her in a state of competition with herself to keep pace with his accomplishments and his ideal manner in dealing with others. Her son, Fahd, may God rest his soul, was a figure close to my heart, and he generously gave everything that he had to others before his death. As for her son, Sultan, he is unique and multi-talented, and whenever I hear him talk I become more and more reassured about the future of this country’s leadership, for he does not talk until after he has accomplished his work. Her son Ahmed, may God rest his soul, had plenty to offer, but death took him away from us too early. As for her son Abdulaziz, he devoted himself to hard work and extraordinary effort on both official and humanitarian levels, and one can only admire his accomplishments. Her son Faisal has been successful in bringing this newspaper [Asharq Al-Awsat] and its sister publications to the international arena with a level of professionalism that is peerless in the Arab world, whilst his efforts with regards to the “Insan Society” has exceeded all expectations. Whilst her daughter Hussa, is a mirror and extension of her late mother, and her accomplishments include valuable research on human rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which received positive reaction on the international stage.

This extremely brief summary of the accomplishment of the children of Princess Sultana, may God rest her soul, represent the harvest of her hard work. The secret of Princess Sultana’s success in her dealings with her children and others is sincere love. She mixed this pure form of love with knowledge and education, and this resulted in excellence and accomplishments that anybody would be proud of. Princess Sultana’s experience, may God rest her soul, as a wife and mother and an active member of society, should be conveyed to the public so that everybody can benefit from this