Only a few dozen Qatari Haj pilgrims this year
doha — Qatar has sent only dozens of its citizens across the border to Saudi Arabia for this week’s Haj pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest sites because of the crisis between the Gulf neighbours.
The annual pilgrimage that draws two billion Muslim faithful from across the globe and starts this year on Wednesday has become embroiled in a dispute between Doha and Riyadh now nearing its third month. Impacting on the Haj, only a few dozen Qatari nationals have been able to travel to the holy city of Makkah and Madina, according to a member of Qatar’s state-linked National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
“Through the border, we estimate 60 to 70 people (travelled) last week,” he said. “It’s not an official figure, we are waiting for an official figure.” Media reports in Saudi Arabia have put the number at up to 1,200 Qataris.
In sharp contrast, 12,000 Qataris took part in last year’s Haj, a pillar of Islam that capable Muslims must perform at least once in their lives, according to the Qatar News Agency. Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended the border closure on August 17, at the same time as it announced Qatari pilgrims would be allowed into the kingdom for the Haj.
In past years, most Qatari pilgrims travelled to Makkah, crossing the width of Saudi Arabia, in officially-sanctioned groups. Those who crossed into Saudi Arabia this year have travelled privately, ignoring official Qatari warnings. —