Saudi’s Missing Pilgrims Cause Firms to Go Bust

Firms and farms globally are suffering as Saudi Arabia imposes Hajj limitations
As Saudi Arabia restricts the annual Hajj pilgrimage to only 1,000 people – down from 2 million – we look at the companies who are now without income, as their usual source of earning is wiped out this year due to coronavirus-related limits in the Kingdom. Many tour operators in Pakistan now have zero income, whilst farms in Kenya are overrun with excess cattle due to a lack of Saudi orders to feed its annual influx of devout Muslims. We speak with economists and financiers in the Kingdom to find out how they are going to plug the multibillion dollar hole in their budget this year. The BBC’s Faarea Masud reports.

Listen to the podcast here

A Prayer for Mecca: The City That Many Hajj Pilgrims Don't See (September 9, 2016)

As the hajj begins once again, Saudi artist Ahmed Mater has revealed unprecedented changes to the holy city – from flashy new hotels to the loss of priceless neighbourhoods. In the third episode of Crossing the Line, our series connecting the US and Middle East, he takes us inside Islam’s urban heart

Hajj Pilgrims to Wear Masks to Prevent Spread of Mers Virus

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Saudi Arabia has issued a series of rules to pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the Hajj that will ban the elderly and force others to wear respiratory masks to prevent the Mers coronavirus turning into an epidemic.

Health ministry regulations for the piligrimage are the strictest in history as the government seeks to contain the spread of the new SARS-like condition which has affected 85 and killed 41.

Almost all those who have contracted Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) have been in Saudi Arabia or had contact with people who contracted it there. The first recorded Mers death was in June last year in Saudi Arabia.

Tens of millions of Muslims from around the world are expected to take part in the Hajj this October. The emergence of the mysterious virus ahead of the pilgrimage has been described as the single biggest worldwide public health since the deadly Sars pandemic. Read on and comment » | Damien McElroy | Saturday, July 13, 2013

Five Members of British Family Die in Car Crash on Pilgrimage to Mecca But One-year-old Baby Survives
MAIL ONLINE: Baby survived but grandparents, aunt, father and pregnant mother killed / Found 'miraculously' alive in arms of dying grandfather who 'saved his life' / Aunt, due to marry days later, sent last text saying driver going 'too fast' / Taxi driver 'fell asleep' at wheel with three generations of same family in car

Five members of a British family were killed in a car crash on a pilgrimage to Mecca - but a one-year-old baby miraculously survived in the wreckage.

The three generations of the family were making the 3,000 mile trip to Saudi Arabia for the religious journey when their taxi crashed.

The only survivor of the horror smash was Mohammed Eisa Danial Hayat, one, who lost both his parents, grandparents and aunt in the crash.

Baby Mohammed was found being cradled in the arms of his dying grandfather in the crash.

Grandfather Shaukat Ali Hayat, 56, his wife Abida, 47, and their children, Mohammed Isshaq Hayat, 33, and Saira Zenub Hayat, 30, died in the smash. » | Emily Davies | Monday, February 11, 2013

Hajj Pilgrims Gather on Mount Arafat
Millions of pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for the annual Hajj, including groups from Syria, who call for an end to the Assad regime in their country.

Australian Sentenced to 500 Lashes in Saudi Arabia for Blasphemy

THE GUARDIAN: Mansor Almaribe, 45, of southern Victoria state jailed for a year for 'insulting prophet Muhammad' on Muslim pilgrimage

An Australian man has been sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in a Saudi Arabian jail after being convicted of blasphemy, according to officials.

The 45-year-old man, identified by family members as Mansor Almaribe of southern Victoria state, was detained in the holy city of Medina last month while making the Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj. Family members told Australian media that Saudi officials accused him of insulting the companions of the prophet Muhammad, a violation of Saudi Arabia's blasphemy laws. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, December 07, 2011

THE AGE: 500 lashes and jail for Aussie in Saudi Arabia: A Victorian man has been sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in jail in Saudi Arabia, with his family fearing he will not survive the punishment. » | AAP | December 07, 2011

Al-Haram during Hajj. Photograph: Google Images
Muslim Woman Teacher Sues U.S. School After Being Denied Three Weeks Unpaid Leave to Make Pilgrimage to Mecca
MAIL ONLINE: A school district is being sued for not allowing a Muslim teacher to take unpaid leave to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Federal Government has brought the case on behalf of Safoorah Khan, claiming that it is a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

It is the duty of every Muslim to join the million of pilgrims at the Hajj in Mecca at least once in their lifetime - and the middle school teacher had hoped to go in 2008.

Khan had started at Berkeley School, in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, in 2007 and asked for unpaid leave of three weeks to visit Saudi Arabia.

After the education district twice denied her request, Khan wrote to the board that 'based on her religious beliefs, she could not justify delaying performing Hajj'. Read on and comment >>> Mail Foreign Service | Tuesday, December 14, 2010

WikiLeaks Cables Portray Saudi Arabia as a Cashpoint for Terrorists
THE GUARDIAN: Hillary Clinton memo highlights Gulf states' failure to block funding for groups like al-Qaida, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba

The terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab walks through the Chatrapathi Sivaji train station in Mumbai during the 2008 attacks. Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the atrocity, is one of several groups that have raised funds via Saudi Arabia. Photograph: The Guardian
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest source of funds for Islamist militant groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba – but the Saudi government is reluctant to stem the flow of money, according to Hillary Clinton.

"More needs to be done since Saudi Arabia remains a critical financial support base for al-Qaida, the Taliban, LeT and other terrorist groups," says a secret December 2009 paper signed by the US secretary of state. Her memo urged US diplomats to redouble their efforts to stop Gulf money reaching extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"Donors in Saudi Arabia constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide," she said.

Three other Arab countries are listed as sources of militant money: Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. >>> Declan Walsh in Islamabad | Sunday, December 05, 2010

JAN. 9, 2006 | OUTSIDE MECCA, Saudi Arabia | Pilgrims at Mount Arafat. American officials say fund-raisers for extremist groups descend on people taking part in the annual pilgrimage to seek money for their causes, according to leaked cables. Photograph: The New York Times
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Cash Flow to Terrorists Evades U.S. Efforts: WASHINGTON — Nine years after the United States vowed to shut down the money pipeline that finances terrorism, senior Obama administration officials say they believe that many millions of dollars are flowing largely unimpeded to extremist groups worldwide, and they have grown frustrated by frequent resistance from allies in the Middle East, according to secret diplomatic dispatches. >>> Eric Lichtblau and Eric Schmitt | Sunday, December 05, 2010

Hajis Envy Those Who Died During Pilgrimage
ARAB NEWS: MINA: Although many foreign pilgrims, especially the elderly and the sick, come for Haj with an innermost desire to die in the holy land, only a select few see their wishes realized.

Such people are honored with being buried in Jannat Al-Mala in Makkah or Jannat Al-Baqi in Madinah. Their relatives and friends then return home once the pilgrimage is complete. A number of pilgrims said they are envious of pilgrims who die while performing Haj or in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Egyptian pilgrim Abdul Shafi Saeed came for Haj from Cairo and was accompanied by another pilgrim, Sayyid Khaleel Hassan, who died while in supplication at the plain of Arafat, the climax of the annual pilgrimage.

“Sayyid Khaleel breathed his last in his seamless white ihram while chanting Labbaik. He was blessed and fortunate to die at the most sacred place for Muslims on earth while performing the main ritual of the pilgrimage. Every pilgrim wishes to die such a death,” said Saeed. >>> Galal Fakkar, Arab News | Saturday, November 20, 2010

Haj 1431: To the photo gallery >>>

Hajj Rituals Test Saudi Arabian Authorities
THE GUARDIAN: Overcrowding and congestion as pilgrims camp out in desolate location

A young Muslim pilgrim has his head shaved, after throwing pebbles at a stone pillar representing the devil, in Mina near Mecca today. Photograph: The Guardian
While more than a billion Muslims around the world celebrated Eid today, those gathered in the Al-Masha'er district of Saudi Arabia proceeded with their hajj rituals – throwing pebbles at vast pillars, shaving their heads and sacrificing animals.

Shaving the head, or halq, is a fundamental act for all male pilgrims during the pilgrimage: Muhammad is said to have prayed three times for men who removed all their hair and only once for those who trimmed it.

The slaughter of an animal – qurbani – marks Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at Allah's command. The ministry of hajj proudly announced earlier this month that more than 100,000 Somali sheep were on hand to cover the high demand for sacrificial animals, adding to the 400,000 waiting in Jeddah and the extra million already being imported. >>> Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Hajj Pilgrimage

Hindus Risk Attack to Make Annual Pilgrimage

Beheading for Islamic Pilgrim?


Question About Saudi Justice


Related:

Saudis Display Their Barbaric, Dark Age Credentials! >>> | Thursday, April 01, 2010

Islam: Schweinegrippe bedroht Millionen Hadsch-Pilger
WELT ONLINE: In diesen Tagen beginnt der Hadsch. Für Millionen Muslime ist die Pilgerreise der religiöse Höhepunkt ihres Lebens. Diesmal ist einiges anders, denn in Mekka herrscht Angst vor der Schweinegrippe. Saudi-Arabien bemüht sich um die Eindämmung des Problems mit Atemmasken, Thermo-Kameras – und Gebeten.

Mit Mundschutz: Eine Teilnehmerin des Hadsch am Flughafen von Dschidda. Bild: Welt Online
Ausgerechnet Schweinegrippe! Ausgerechnet jetzt! Das Schwein gilt im Islam ohnehin als unrein und wird gemieden, der Verzehr seines Fleisches ist Muslimen verboten. Unverständnis von Marokko bis Malaysia: Wie kann man sich denn da anstecken? Dass die Weltgrippe nichts mit Essgewohnheiten und auch nur entfernt überhaupt mit dem Schwein zu tun hat, kann die Muslime kaum beruhigen. Und das schlimmste ist: Der Hadsch steht bevor, die islamische Wallfahrt nach Mekka mit fast drei Millionen Pilgern aus rund 160 Staaten.

Was kommende Woche in Mekka geschieht, ist das exakte Gegenteil von dem, was die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) zur Eindämmung des H1N1-Virus empfiehlt: Hunderttausende Menschen in großer Enge und Hitze, die zusammen beten, essen und dieselben rituellen Gegenstände berühren. Der Pilgerort droht zum riesigen Inkubator zu werden. >>> Von Dietrich Alexander | Freitag, 20. November 2009

Swine Flu Kills Four in Saudi Arabia on Hajj Pilgrimage
BBC: Four pilgrims have died of swine flu as they take part in this year's annual Mecca pilgrimage, Saudi officials say.

Three of the victims, a woman from Morocco and men from Sudan and India, were in their seventies.The fourth was a 17-year-old girl from Nigeria.

The Health Ministry said none of the four foreign victims had been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

The latest figures from the World Health Organization show the virus has so far killed 6,750 people worldwide.

Up to three million Muslims from around the world take part in the holy pilgrimage every year, but health officials have expressed fears that it could provide a breeding ground for the virus. Egyptian fears >>> | Saturday, November 21, 2009

BBC: Video: Swine flu 'is not yet pandemic' >>> | Sunday, November 01, 2009

Cairo Protests at Swine Flu Bans
BBC: Angry scenes have been reported at Cairo airport as security forces barred Muslim pilgrims from travelling to Mecca because of fears over swine flu.

Hundreds staged a sit-in on Sunday when the Egyptian authorities implemented a plan to prevent anyone over 65 and under 25 from travelling to Mecca.

Another 180-200 belonging to the banned age groups were held back on Monday.

The curbs could affect large numbers of old people, some of whom expend great efforts to visit Mecca before dying.

An airport official said about 15% of would-be passengers to the Muslim holy city had been turned back on Monday.

"The people banned from leaving are those over 65 and those under 25 because they are the most at risk of being contaminated by swine flu," the official added. >>> | Monday, August 17, 2009

Swine Flu May Force Muslims to Abandon Haj Pilgrimage to Mecca
TIMES ONLINE: The annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca could be under threat because of swine flu.

Britain today joined a growing list of countries in the MIddle East and Africa to issue advice to Muslim pilgrims not to travel to Saudi Arabia if they are elderly, pregnant, very young or have a long-term medical condition that may leave them more vulnerable to the disease.

The advice, issued by the UK’s Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims), follows a recommendation by Saudi health officials that anyone travelling to Mecca or Medina should receive the seasonal flu vaccine at least two weeks before their visit.

The Saudi authorities also said that pregnant women, children, chronically ill and elderly people should skip the Haj this year.

Quarantine facilities have been set up in Saudi airports and millions of vaccine doses have been pre-ordered.

The Association of British Hujjaj said that Saudi Arabia’s warning had “sent a shock wave” through Britain’s Muslim community.

The association’s health experts warned: “British pilgrims have always been at high risk of infections due to the crowded conditions at ceremonies, accommodation sites and on public transport. Therefore pilgrims must follow the guidelines issued by the authorities and they should be vaccinated against the swine flu virus once this vaccine is available at least two weeks before their departure to perform pilgrimage.”

In a statement today the association said: “Take the swine flu threat seriously, be safe than sorry and contact your doctor before travelling.” >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Harvard Study Says “Haj Promotes Tolerance”: Fact or Dhimmitude?
ARAB NEWS: JEDDAH — A study of Hajis by Harvard Kennedy School in the US has found that the Haj promotes tolerance among pilgrims and does not lead to an increase in negative attitudes toward the West.

The study — entitled “Estimating the Impact of the Haj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam’s Global Gathering” — said that the annual pilgrimage develops a tolerant attitude among Hajis toward other religions and cultures.

Researchers, David Clingingsmith, Asim Ijaz Khwaja and Michael Kremer, based their findings, which were published last month, on data collected from a 2006 survey of more than 1,600 Pakistani pilgrims.

“Evidence suggests that the Haj increases tolerance, which seems to apply not just within the Islamic world but also beyond it,” they reported, adding, that increased unity does not lead to antipathy toward non-Muslims.

They also found that the Haj plays a significant role in the survival of Islam as a unified world religion. “Over time, religions with far-flung adherents tend to evolve separate strands which may eventually break away into different religions. Our analysis suggests that the Haj reduces dissent and splits in Islam by moving Hajis toward a common set of practices, making them more tolerant of differences among Muslims,” they said.

Pilgrims selected for the survey were also more likely to state that various Pakistani ethnic and sectarian groups are equal and that it is possible for such groups to live in harmony.

Major findings include that the Haj reduces support for political Islam, reduces superstitious beliefs and encourages Muslims to adopt a more favorable attitude toward women, including greater acceptance of women education and employment. “For example, they (Hajis) are six percentage points more likely to think women are spiritually better than men, an increase of over 50 percent. They also express greater concern about women’s quality of life in Pakistan relative to other countries and about crimes against women in Pakistan,” the report stated. Haj Promotes Tolerance, Confirms Harvard Study >>> By P K Abdul Ghafour | May 6, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)