Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Tunisia cancels Haj pilgrimages

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Tunisia cancels Haj pilgrimages

    First Published 2009-07-05

    Travel agencies who specialise in pilgrimage trips will be hit hard

    Tunisia suspends Mecca pilgrimages

    Religious affairs minister says suspension of omra trips, annual hajj due to swine flu is necessary decision.

    TUNIS - Tunisia suspended Saturday lesser pilgrimages to Mecca for fear of swine flu infection, but reserved judgment on whether the main hajj pilgrimage should be undertaken in November.

    As well as the annual hajj, which all Muslims are required to make once in a lifetime if they have the means, the faithful can also make a lesser pilgrimage to the holy places, known as omra, at any time of the year.

    The suspension of omra trips was "a necessary decision" which does not contradict Muslim doctrine, said Tunisian religious affairs minister Boubaker El Akhzouri.

    He was speaking to a crisis cell set up by Tunisia's health ministry, and said the rapid spread of the A(H1N1) pandemic meant that officials should "reflect on whether or not to postpone the hajj" later this year.

    In the meantime, Tunisia has toughened selection criteria for hajj candidates, doubling medical checks and ruling out the elderly or chronically sick on the grounds they would be "more exposed" to infection.

    Some 30,000 Tunisians complete the omra pilgrimages, with peak numbers making the journey during the Holy month of Ramadan, which is this year due to begin some time in late August.

    The suspension of the omra will affect travel agencies who specialise in pilgrimage trips, with BusinessNews website estimating the loss of revenue to the industry at around 150 million dinars (more than 80 million euros or 120 million dollars).

    Tunisia has announced just three infections to-date, but with millions of Muslims preparing to converge on Mecca, the whole Islamic world is concerned about the pilgrimage season's potential to make the pandemic far worse.

  • #2
    Re: Tunisia suspends Mecca pilgrimages

    Source: http://www.tunisiaonlinenews.com/200...ll-pilgrimage/

    A1 H1 virus: Tunisia suspends small pilgrimage

    Tunis, July 6, 2009- Prevention is better than cure, the saying goes. Even if there are only 3 cases of infection by the H1 N1 virus in the country, Tunisian authorities take no chances and have decided to suspend, the ?Omra?, also known as the small pilgrimage to Mecca, without yet taking any final decision concerning the ?Hajj?.

    Presumably, selection criteria for pilgrims this year will be toughened. Old people suffering from chronic ailments will not be selected as they are more exposed to the virus, moreover medical checks will be increased.

    In the words of the Minister of Religious Affairs, Mr Boubaker Azhouri, ?the suspension of the Omra is a necessary decision which does not contravene religious practice.?

    Some 30,000 Tunisians travel every year to Mecca for the ?Omra? pilgrimage. Generally the pilgrimage takes place during the month of Ramadan (August September this year).

    It is estimated that losses for the 60 or 70 travel agencies specializing in the small pilgrimage following the suspension of the Omra, will amount to some 1 million dinars

    The decision concerning the suspension or not of the ?Haj?, is due to be announced shortly.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Tunisia cancels Haj pilgrimages

      Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/middl...s/idUSL6262349

      Tunisia cancels haj pilgrimage due to swine flu
      Tue Oct 6, 2009 6:54am EDT

      TUNIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Tunisia has called off the annual pilgrimage to Mecca for the first time because of a lack of swine flu vaccines, the government said on Tuesday.

      The Ministry of Religious Affairs said a batch of H1N1 flu jabs would not arrive before mid-October, too late to ensure candidates for the pilgrimage, or haj, are vaccinated.

      Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tunis said the haj would take place from around Nov. 18.

      Millions of Muslims, including up to 10,000 Tunisians, flock to Mecca each year for the haj, a pillar of Islamic observance.

      Saudi Arabia has urged the elderly and people with chronic diseases to postpone trips this year and several Muslim countries have sought to limit numbers.

      The H1N1 virus had killed 3,917 people in 191 countries since being identified in April, according to World Health Organisation figures provided on Sept. 20.

      No one has yet died from swine flu in Tunisia, which has documented 80 cases of the virus so far. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

      Comment

      Working...
      X