Gaza pilgrims to travel to Mecca next week

29/10/2010

CAIRO (Ma'an) -- A senior official at the Palestinian embassy in Egypt said Friday that the transfer of Gaza pilgrims to Saudi Arabia would begin on 3 November as the Hajj journey starts for tens of thousands of Muslims.

The official said the move was authorized by Ambassador Barakat Al-Farra, who had arranged with embassy staff and local officials to facilitate the travel of the pilgrims, in particular their exit from Gaza into Egypt.

An unconfirmed number of pilgrims will pass through the Rafah crossing and travel by bus to the Cairo International Airport, and then on to Mecca.

According to officials, permits for Gaza pilgrims were facilitated by Egyptian Interior Ministry staff, and all expectations were that the trip for the Hajj travelers would go smoothly.

In 2008, Gaza residents who hoped to perform the sacred pilgrimage were variously told that they had to apply for the permissions lottery organized by Saudi Arabia via the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Hamas government in Gaza. Permits were issued via the PA, angering Gaza officials, who then refused to allow travelers to pass through the Rafah crossing unless those selected by the Gaza government's lottery could also pass.

As a consequence, no pilgrims from Gaza were able to make the pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, which involves travel to Mecca as an act of solidarity between Muslims, proof of submission to God, and as a remembrance of the miracle of water, which sprung forth when the wife of Abraham was abandoned with her infant son in Mecca.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=328774.