We can't hold our breath forever. Hajj 2020: 'It would have been my solace' In the past few years, Anisa lost her mother, her job and her house and had hoped Hajj would be the one saving grace for her and her family. 30 Jul 2020 07:08 GMT “We’re still taking bookings,” Mr Arif said, “but we’re not taking a penny off them. It is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims, who are physically able, to carry out the duty once in a lifetime.British Muslims usually spend at least £5,000 per-person on a month-long package tour, in which more than 20 million people descend on the holy city.
Iran blamed its regional rival Saudi Arabia for "sabotage" and failing to guarantee the safety of pilgrims. Every Muslim would like to visit Saudi Arabia but I think this year might be quite difficult… I had booked to go too, but my flight got cancelled.Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Minister, Mohammed Banten, said the kingdom was concerned about the safety of pilgrims and urged people to "wait before concluding contracts".The lesser pilgrimage, the Umra, has already been suspended as a precaution to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.Altaf Arif, operations director at Arif Hajj and Umrah Services, which is responsible for around 450 Britons who have booked tours, said that around 70% of his clients are experiencing financial difficulties during the lockdown and have asked for their money back.However the other 30% are saying, “whatever happens we are going”. Former Tory justice minister to head independent review of role of judges in politics
Hajj restricted: This is not the first time The sweeping curbs this year will not be the first time the Muslim ritual has been partially or fully halted.
“The country is playing it safe. Hajj 2020 underway during the pandemic Not only have lives been disrupted, coronavirus has tested people’s faith also Published: July 28, 2020 14:38 Gulf News The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. An estimated 275 Iranian pilgrims were killed during the incident.In 2014, Saudi Arabia temporarily stopped issuing Umrah and Hajj visas for the citizens of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.The three West African countries were hit the hardest by a major outbreak of Ebola in West Africa that killed more than 11,000 people before it was declared over in 2016. The decision came in light of a stampede during the 2015 Hajj when 700 worshippers, many from Iran, were killed. Moreover, regional conflicts, such as wars in Syria and Yemen, created heightened animosity between the two countries that are believed to have contributed to Iran's decision.Saudi soldiers fighting their way into the Qaboo Underground beneath the Grand Mosque of Mecca in 1979 [File: Public Domain] Egypt stepped up caution and security measures at its airports in 2014 to prevent an Ebola outbreak as pilgrims returned from Hajj [File: Asmaa Waguih/Reuters]A Muslim pilgrim walks through the site where dead bodies are gathered after a stampede during the 2015 Hajj pilgrimage [File: AP]The Hajj is one of Islam's five pillars - the basic tenets of Muslim life - that every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to is obliged to undertake at least once in a lifetime. "ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective"irector of the Centre of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London,Crowds gather on a pilgrimage at the Kaaba, the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad, in Mecca in July 1889 [Hulton Archive/Getty Images]Iran decided against sending pilgrims to Hajj in 2016 after talks failed with Saudi Arabia to arrange for pilgrims to attend.
But already, we’ve had around 120 people who have had to cancel because they work for the NHS so we’ve given them their money back.”Mr Arif said that he believes Hajj will go ahead - but with the Saudi authorities imposing strict restrictions. Muslim pilgrims preparing to travel to Mecca this summer are torn between getting their money back or risking exposure to the coronavirus, travel operators claim.The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. “We’ve faced restrictions in the past, with MERS and Swine Flu and the Saudis are very clued up. It's time we learned to live with the virus Hajj provides the country with 20% of its GDP, but of course they don’t want the coronavirus pandemic spreading further.”We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.
Each country receives a quota, and this year Britain’s is 25,000 people.Hajj is set to take place at the end of July - however Saudi Arabian authorities have still not cancelled the event. This is the tentative date as the actual date is contingent on the sighting of the moon of Dhul Hijjah, 1441, the 12th and last month of Islamic Calendar .