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#1156 [Permalink] Posted on 19th September 2012 05:50

First group of Thai pilgrims in Makkah

Thailand's Haj quota set at 13 000

19 September 2012 - 03 Thul-Qedah 1433 H

JEDDAH - The first group of 294 Thai pilgrims from the southern provinces of the country arrived at the Haj Terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah on Monday night on their way to the holy city of Makkah.

Thai Airways transported the pilgrims who are among a total of 13,000 Thais to perform Haj this year. Acting Consul General Anchalee Saifah and Thai officers from the Royal Thai Consulate General in Jeddah welcomed the pilgrims with Saudi Haj officials.

"The Thai government considers Haj an important matter and we at the consulate give utmost importance to the welfare of the pilgrims," Saifah said.

Most of the pilgrims are from the southern part of Thailand. Every year charter flights are arranged by the Thai government to facilitate their transportation to Saudi Arabia from Hadyai, Phuket and Krabi airports.

Saifah added, "On behalf of the Thai government, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Saudi government and concerned authorities for their efforts in preparing and arranging everything to welcome pilgrims from all over the world and facilitate the Haj rituals."

www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&cont...

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#1157 [Permalink] Posted on 19th September 2012 09:23

King orders blocking of web links to anti-Islam film

JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered Saudi telecom authorities to block the websites that show the nefarious film that denigrates Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam.

“On the basis of the king’s directives all Internet service providers in the Kingdom have been instructed to block the film on users in Saudi Arabia,” said the Telecommunications and Information Technology Commission.

“We have told Google to block all YouTube links containing the film. If the company fails to do so we’ll block YouTube completely,” said TITC, the Kingdom’s telecom regulator.

People have been advised to inform TITC if they found any Internet sites showing the film by either contacting www.Internet .gov.sa or www.citc.gov.sa to block them.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) earlier urged its 57 member countries to speak in one voice against the filthy film that tarnished the image of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

“All member countries should speak forcefully in one voice on this vital issue,” said Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told a press conference, which was held to highlight OIC’s efforts to take up the issue.

He said the upcoming OIC foreign ministers’ annual meeting in New York would discuss all initiatives to set out a complete plan to confront growing provocative incidents such as the nefarious film.

Ihsanoglu said he had contacted US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Arabi and Catherine Ashton of the European Union on taking international measures to avoid a repetition of such provocative incidents.

The OIC has been pushing for years for some kind of a global law against defamation of religion at the UN Human Rights Council.

But it was not passed due to opposition from the US, Europe and some Latin American countries which argued it would violate free speech and the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

http://www.arabnews.com/king-orders-...nti-islam-film

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#1158 [Permalink] Posted on 19th September 2012 20:20

First Batch of Pakistani pilgrims arrived

The First batch of 329 pilgrims arrived at King Abdul Aziz Airport, Jeddah few moments ago from Peshawar Pakistan. They were welcomed by DG Hajj (Pakistan) and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khurshid Shah. During welcome, He said that All Pakistani Pilgrims will be able to have journey in Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddassah which will make their Hajj more comfortable. In 1432H, Only 50 % Pakistani pilgrims were allowed to use this service coming from government selection. More than 180,000 pilgrims would be transported through 4 airlines, major by PIA, which will transport more than 90,000 people.

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#1159 [Permalink] Posted on 20th September 2012 15:24

Requests for higher pilgrim quotas declined

MAKKAH: ARAB NEWS

Thursday 20 September 2012

The Haj Ministry issued an apology to all countries requesting an increase in pilgrim quotas this year, citing the ongoing mega development projects in Makkah and Madinah as the reason.

Minister Bandar Hajjar denied any intent to limit the number of pilgrims for Umrah. He was visiting the General Syndicate of Cars in Makkah on Tuesday.

Hajjar told members of the syndicate transport charges which have remained static for over 30 years, would be reviewed.
He said royal consent was given to establish a consultative council for the syndicate under the Haj minister. "Undersecretary of the ministry and a number of transport company owners will become members of the council," he added.

The minister said the council would meet one week after its establishment and address matters concerning pilgrim transportation. He said the syndicate is going ahead with its plans to Saudize jobs in the transport industry and asked Saudi youth to apply for seasonal jobs as drivers with the syndicate.

In other news, Yousuf bin Ahmed Huwalah, chairman of the board of directors of the private establishment of guides in Madinah, said they recruited 3,000 seasonal employees to provide services to Madinah visitors.

Three centers receive pilgrims in addition to 18 executive offices in various locations around the holy city. "There are two data centers to register passport details, a center for medical care and three guidance offices," he said.

Huwalah said the establishment employed 10 Saudi women to serve pilgrims at the health care center, at the office to guide female pilgrims at the Miqat Mosque, and the department of information and public relations.

Abdul Fattah bin Muhammad Atta, director of Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah, said that in addition to the four existing lounges, a new 4,500 square meter lounge is now available to facilitate the flow of pilgrims. He said additional parking lots are available for buses transporting pilgrims from the airport to the hotels in the central area around the Prophet's Mosque.

On Monday, the first day of flights arriving for Haj, the airport received 48 flights.

arabnews.com/requests-higher-pilgrim-quotas-declined

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#1160 [Permalink] Posted on 20th September 2012 15:26

Swift Haj visas for Syrians

JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS
Thursday 20 September 2012

The Haj Ministry announced yesterday that the Haj visas of Syrian pilgrims would be processed without delay.

A Haj Ministry official said: "We are treating the arrival of Syrian pilgrims with the utmost care and importance, considering the difficult situation many face at home. They will be provided with the necessary facilities to perform Haj."
E. Ahamed, India's minister of state for foreign affairs, met with Haj ministry officials to discuss Indian pilgrim affairs.

Ahamed commended Saudi government efforts in the service of pilgrims by expanding the two holy mosques and carrying out giant projects in the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

"The new development projects in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites have been instrumental in helping pilgrims to perform their rituals easily and comfortably," he said.

More than 175,000 Indian pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year.

Mohsina Kidwai, chairperson for the Haj Committee of India, earlier reviewed preparations for Indian pilgrims during her three-day visit to the Kingdom.

While expressing satisfaction over the arrangements, she instructed all Indian officials to serve pilgrims with sincerity.

In total, 479 buildings are reserved to accommodate 125,000 pilgrims coming through the HCI while an additional 45,000 pilgrims would be handled through private tour operators.

Indian pilgrims will be given a Saudi Telecom SIM card before they leave India. The SIMs will be pre-loaded with contact numbers of Indian consular officials.

In related news, four Saudi young men stopped Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar during his tour of the Car Syndicate in Makkah and complained the syndicate was delaying their appointment as drivers.

Muhammad Al-Otaibi said he and his three mates applied for driver's jobs to the syndicate's personnel department many times during the last month. Hajjar promised their applications would be taken care of immediately.

The minister said owners of bus companies agreed to improve services by conducting maintenance of buses and providing necessary training to drivers.

Abdu Yamani, acting president of the syndicate said Haj transport companies made a total investment of more than SR 10 billion to purchase buses, building infrastructure, establish maintenance centers and provide salaries and housing for drivers.
Yamani said the syndicate generates 30,000 seasonal jobs for administrators and drivers and priority is given to Saudis when they apply.

arabnews.com/swift-haj-visas-syrians

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#1161 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 03:59

Pilgrims pique investor interest in Makkah

An artist's rendering of the Jabal Omar Development Company's 26-hotel, multiphase project.

20 September 2012

MAKKAH-Hotel investors are making a pilgrimage of their own to capitalize on the millions of religious tourists flocking to the Islamic holy land of Makkah-tul-Mukarrama, or Mecca.

Located in western Saudi Arabia, the holy city is set to receive more than 13 million Muslim travelers going on Hajj and Umrah pilgrims by 2019-up from 3.8 million during 2010, according to John Podaras, director Middle East & North Africa for Christie + Co. Makkah only admits Muslims.

"Approximately 50% of Saudi Arabia's international tourist arrivals are for the purpose of religious tourism, said Adrian Jonklaas, associate director at PKF The Consulting House.

Muslim tourists to the Kingdom are expected to grow annually between 6% and 8% over the next two to three years, reaching more than 16 million tourists, he said.

Hotel developers are working furiously to keep pace. Christie + Co. counts some 13,000 branded rooms among 30 new properties scheduled to open by 2015. "The others are either locally branded or still at the planning stages," Podaras said.

According to PKF The Consulting House, the existing supply of 60,000 hotel rooms will grow by 15% during the next two to three years.

The Saudi Arabia government is contributing "tens of billions of dollars" to facilitate the building boom, Jonklaas said. The King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, known as the "Gateway City" for religious tourists, is undergoing a capacity expansion from 12 million to 14 million passengers per year, with later phases expected to double and eventually quadruple capacity in the mid to long term.

The government also is expanding the Al Haramain High Speed Rail from Jeddah to Makkah and Madinah.

JODC dominates the development landscape

Headlining hotel development is the Jabal Omar Development Company's 26-hotel, multiphase project being built on 24 million square feet of land.

U.S. firm Equinox Hospitality is overseeing the project, which has a development cost estimated between $6 billion to $7 billion. Phase one, comprising 2,900 rooms, is expected to open during the second half of 2013. An additional 21 hotels will roll out in four subsequent phases, with openings expected in the next 24 to 30 months.

Each hotel will be branded. Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Marriott International already have signed on to manage nine of the 26 properties. The agreements for the remaining hotels are under negotiation and likely to be concluded in the next six months, according to Firoz Moti, GM of Equinox Hospitality Group.

"This is the largest mixed-use development project in the world today, comprising retail and residential components as well," he said. "The initiatives of the Saudi government to transform the holy city of Makkah into a modern smart city (have) gained momentum with the development of a number of other projects as well," he added, pointing to these infrastructure initiatives.

Parsing performance

The JODC development had been on the drawing board for years, but the global economic crisis and resulting debt-financing drought delayed plans. But even the worst economic downturn could not deter traveler interest.

"Makkah is a demand-starved market where gross operating profits generated by hotels are the highest in the region," Moti said.

Average occupancy in Makkah August year to date was 67.3%, a 5.8% increase from the prior-year period. Average daily rate was up 7.5% to 777.12 Saudi riyals ($207.23), and revenue per available room increased by 13.8% to 522.92 Saudi riyals ($139.45), according to STR Global, sister company of HotelNewsNow.com.

Demand during the same period was up 22.6%.

"In addition, the numbers of Muslims worldwide is expected to grow by 35% in the next 20 years, from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion in 2030," said Christie + Co.'s Podaras.

"With the development of infrastructure, more and more Muslims from other parts of the world will be able to come, especially from Europe and Asia," said Olivier Granet, director of development for Accor Middle East.

Accor is in the process of finalizing its own management agreements and the construction of two Sofitels, one Novotel and one Adagio Serviced Apartments within the JODC project.

"Teams are mobilized and work done by the technical team with the architects and designer is progressing well," Granet said.

Accor also is rebranding the existing ZamZam Hotel under renovation as a Pullman to open by the end of this year. The group's objective is to eventually operate at least 5,000 rooms in Makkah.

"(Makkah) is an attractive market with still a lot of opportunities to match the hotel infrastructure to the needs of the pilgrims. ... We would like to develop other segments and introduce new concepts such as economy hotel concept with our brand, Ibis," he added.

While competition between Accor and other major global chains is getting fierce, operators admit there's more than enough demand to go around.

"Our two hotels in Makkah are performing extremely well and have seen revenue growth of nearly 150% over this time last year, thanks to a focus on emerging feeder markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey," said Guido DeWilde, senior VP and regional director of the Middle East for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

Starwood has had a presence in Saudi Arabia since 1978 with Le M�ridien Medina and today the company operates 3,000 rooms in the country, three of them in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina. Other existing hotels include entries from Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and Swiss�tel.

Makkah generates strong demand year-round-this despite a natural peak season during the Hajj annual pilgrimage and restrictions on visas for those wanting to perform Umrah, a spiritual visit to Makkah, which should be done once in a Muslim's lifetime.

"Whilst peak demand will continue unabated, Makkah hotels are still affected by the seasonal fluctuations in demand, especially in the two months following the Hajj when visas are not granted," to prepare for the next pilgrimage. Consequently, it is likely that although occupancies will remain unaffected in the high 90s during the peak season, the low season will witness a drop in occupancies to 30(%) or 35%," Podaras said.

Executives at Hilton Worldwide, which will brand six of JODC's hotels, are confident occupancies can be maintained year-round, said Essam Abouda, Hilton's VP of operations, Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean.

"This market attracts diverse traveler segments throughout the year. Our existing properties perform well, with high occupancies year round," he said.

Hilton has further plans for a Hilton Makkah Convention Hotel and Hilton Suites Makkah family venue to be built adjacent to shopping center in the city.

"This will further attract (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) business from neighboring cities like Jeddah and Taif during the off-peak seasons," Equinox's Moti said.

Although the first phase of the JODC project will feature hotels skewed toward the higher end, the finished development will have 42% of rooms in the mid market and 30% in the budget segment, he added.

"We went through a stringent process of categorization of brands based on a number of factors, which included location and view of the holy mosque from the hotel," Moti said.

www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/8991/Pilgrims-pique-in...

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#1162 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 04:26

Delay in sites handover to raise Haj bill

21 September 2012 - 05 Thul-Qedah 1433 H

MAKKAH - The National Committee for Haj and Umrah has said the Ministry of Haj's delay in handing over the holy sites to the committee and the high cost of renting buses, food and manpower wages has caused a rise in costs for domestic pilgrims.

Osama Filali, chairman of the committee headquartered at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), said the Ministry of Haj had not handed over the sites until now.

However, the ministry said other parties were to blame for the delay.

A ministry spokesman said these organizations gave the excuse that they are still carrying out projects at these sites.

Filali said the number of companies for domestic pilgrims during 2011, based on the number of permits issued to these organizations last year, was 230. These companies provided their services to over 200,000 pilgrims within the Kingdom.

Their services are provided according to classes, beginning with a low-cost Haj to more expensive categories. He said one of the basic reasons for the increase in charges for providing services to domestic pilgrims every year is the regular delay in handing over the holy sites to Haj companies.

This delay causes a rise in charges because the sites are only handed over during the peak period of Haj when it is impossible to look for any alternatives. Therefore, the sites have to be prepared within a short span of time.

Filali added: "There are several factors including the delay in handing over sites to companies for domestic pilgrims, apart from the rising costs for transportation, food supply and manpower. All these reasons collectively will cause a rise in the bills for the domestic pilgrim. Food prices have risen by 40 to 50 percent this year due to inflation."

As for transport, the cost has increased by 30 to 35 percent according to the quotes the companies have received this year. "The wages for national or expatriate manpower have risen by at least 60 percent compared to four years ago," said Filali.

He added that there were no real justifications for raising wages, but employees are simply demanding more than before.

He said it was illogical to hand over the holy sites to companies for domestic pilgrims 15 to 20 days ahead of Haj.

By this time, companies are usually forced to pay high prices and are under severe time constraints, leading them to charge pilgrims more, even if they are on low-cost Haj packages.

Filali said it is no longer important to stay close to the Jamarat Bridge in Mina because of the giant project that has been carried out to allow all pilgrims to carry out their rites there with ease.

Secondly, the Mashaer Train project has improved transport from the camps to the Jamarat Bridge and back.

He said it is difficult for the ministry to hand over sites where work has been completed and wait for other projects to be completed. All work must be completed and then every site handed over at the same time.

He said if the sites had been handed over to the companies by the first day of Dhul Qadah (Sept. 17), this would reduce costs by 30 percent.

Filali added all the licenses for domestic pilgrims' companies expired last year.

He did not know if the licenses would be renewed or not.

People interested in performing Haj started booking since Ramadan and some companies are in an embarrassing situation because their licenses have not been renewed yet.

Filali estimated the capital invested in companies for domestic pilgrims in Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah at SR1 billion.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20120921136955

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#1163 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 04:29

Domestic pilgrim charges could rise 30 percent

JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Friday 21 September 2012

The delay in handing over tents in Mina, the rise in transport and food cost and a hike in salaries of workers will increase expenditure of domestic pilgrims, the chairman of the National Haj & Umrah Committee said.

"The Haj Ministry has not yet handed over the tents to domestic Haj companies and agencies," Osama Felali said, adding that there is no justification for the delay. Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar on Wednesday said the tents would be handed over early next week.

Felali said 230 companies had been licensed to provide services to an estimated 200,000 domestic pilgrims. Their charges vary depending on their services.

He estimated total investment in domestic Haj service companies at more than SR 1 billion, adding that 50 percent of their activities are centered in Makkah, Jeddah and Riyadh.

"The delay in receiving the tents from the authorities is one of the main reasons for increase in expenditures," Felali pointed out. "The rise in prices of foodstuffs will increase the cost of domestic Haj companies by 40 to 50 percent," he said.

He also said the cost of hiring buses had increased by 35 percent, while the salaries of Saudi and expatriate workers had risen by 60 percent compared to the scale of salaries four years ago. Felali said the handing over of tents just 15 or 20 days before the launch of Haj would put pressure on companies and increase their expenditures. He agreed that the handing over of tents on the first day of Dhul Qaadah would have cut charges by 30 percent. The ministry says it will not be able to hand over the site to Haj service agents because of maintenance works. It would be unacceptable for Haj service agencies to allocate part of the area and make the issue more complicated, he said.

Felali pointed out that licenses of most domestic Haj service companies had not been renewed, adding the five-year validity of licenses expired by the end of last Haj season. "The non-renewal of licenses has created a lot of problems for the companies, as they will not be able to sign agreements with other service firms." The companies whose licenses have expired would not be able to market their places in the holy sites or pay charges of the ministry and transport companies.

"We have presented this issue to the ministry, and they promised to solve it quickly," he added.

http://www.arabnews.com/domestic-pilgrim-charges-could-rise-30-percent

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#1164 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 04:31

First Haj flight arrives from Pakistan

JEDDAH: FOUZIA KHAN

Friday 21 September 2012

The first Haj flight from Pakistan with 329 pilgrims was received at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Wednesday by Syed Khursheed Shah, federal minister for religious affairs in Pakistan; Mohammed Naeem Khan, Pakistan's ambassador; and Abdul Salik Khan, consul general. The federal minister briefed journalists about the Haj arrangements the Pakistani government and Haj ministry had made for pilgrims this year. He said they had booked 164 buildings in Makkah to accommodate the pilgrims and made arrangements for them to use the rail transportation this year.

"We have also tried to solve the toilet problem in Mina, and the Saudi authorities informed us they had arranged 10,000 new toilet facilities. We also arranged buses," said Shah, explaining that they hired 350 buses, of which 150 had been reserved to facilitate the shuttle service for pilgrims. He added this year they had arranged three buses instead of one and made almost 70 bus stops in Aziziah area to provide continuous shuttle services.

The government also equipped the buses with radio frequency services to get an idea of the usage of bus services and obtain data to help estimate how many buses they would need next year. "We also provide food packets on the arrival of the pilgrims and three meals in Mina throughout Haj. We will provide food and water on their travel from Makkah to Madinah without any additional charges," said Shah.

www.arabnews.com/first-haj-flight-arrives-pakistan

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#1165 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 09:48

SR 1.37 bn contract to boost Haramain Railway

JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Friday 21 September 2012

Canada’s Bombardier Transportation has signed contracts worth $367 million (SR 1.37 billion) with Talgo SA to develop and supply components for 36 high-speed trains for the Kingdom’s Haramain Railway, the company said in a statement.

Talgo, a member of a consortium led by Spanish railway operator RENFE and railway infrastructure company ADIF, was recently contracted to build and operate the 450-km railway linking the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah.

The deal includes Bombardier's propulsion and control package, Flexx Power 350 high-speed bogies and 12-year maintenance services for the trains and their components. Most of Bombardier's manufacturing for the project will take place at its plant in Trapaga, Spain.

The Montreal-based transportation giant has participated in the development of many of the world's leading high-speed rail systems, including four different generations of the TGV in France.

http://arabnews.com/sr-137-bn-contra...ramain-railway

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#1166 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 16:18

Myanmar: Saudi Arabia to grant 5000 Hajj visas

Kaladan Mosque - Mawlamyine, Myanmar Burma

18 September 2012

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj has granted 5000 visas for Myanmar citizens to go on the Hajj pilgrimage this year, the Saudi embassy in Yangon said last week.

The quota has been granted to 43 travel agents, instead of 24 from last year, in an effort to avoid the misdistribution and abuse of the Hajj quota that has occurred in previous years.

The embassy is requesting travel agents to present a list of all Hajj participants with a signed statement acknowledging that the participant has not paid any extra fee for their Hajj visa and that the amount paid is only for accommodation, air tickets and travelling expenses.

The embassy also said in the September 13 statement that any disputes between travel agents and Hajj participants would be handled by the relevant authorities in Myanmar.

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/nat...ajj-visas.html

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#1167 [Permalink] Posted on 21st September 2012 21:23

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#1168 [Permalink] Posted on 22nd September 2012 01:53

Saudis reject raising haj quotas

September 20, 2012

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia has rejected requests by 40 countries to increase their haj quota this year because of development projects now underway in the two holy cities of Makkah (Mecca) and Medina, local dailies said on Wednesday.

"The ministry has apologised to all countries which had asked to increase the number of their pilgrims this year... (because of) the giant development projects in Mecca and Medina which make it difficult to accommodate more numbers," haj minister Bandar al-Hajjar was reported as saying. Saudi King Abdullah has officially launched a $10.6-billion (7.3-billion-euro) extension project of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The peak of this year's haj is expected to take place on or around October 25.

Every Muslim country has a haj quota of 1,000 pilgrims per million inhabitants. The quota system was imposed after an attempt by Saudi police to stifle a demonstration by Iranian pilgrims holding an anti-US and anti-Israel protest in 1987 sparked clashes in which 402 people died, including 275 Iranians.

The haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all those Muslims who are able to do so. Last year, nearly three million Muslim pilgrims performed haj, the world's largest annual gathering. The authorities had not indicated that they would be able to accommodate more pilgrims this year.

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#1169 [Permalink] Posted on 22nd September 2012 01:58

Saudis protest anti-Islam film in a civilized way

20 September 2012 - 04 Thul-Qedah 1433 H

JEDDAH - As angry demonstrators stormed US and European embassies in many countries in protest at a movie denigrating the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), a large number of young Saudis began raising awareness about the Prophet through various campaigns on social networking sites.

Recently social media has been abuzz with Muslims speaking out against the violence and they took the initiative to portray the correct image of the Prophet.

Twenty-three-year-old student Maher Naji said: "The way we shall respond is not by violence, threats, or insults. No, we shall respond with wisdom and social media is our tool to spread the message."

Maher and his friends here in Jeddah started to think of a civilized way to respond to those who had the wrong impression of the Prophet. He said: "The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself stated the strong Muslim was the one who could control his anger and control his emotions. Therefore all Muslims should follow this example.

"That's what we are doing right now. We have a very informative site that shows who the Prophet was, so other Westerners can find out everything about him."

Abdulaziz Al-Jihani, a 24-year-old student, said: "Setting places on fire and killing innocent people does not do anything to defend the Prophet, but increases the hate toward Muslims."

Al-Jihani said he and his friends launched a site that features the greatest examples and actions of the Prophet. "We showed examples of his kindness, mercy, generosity and sincerity. We are also showing what a great man Muhammad (pbuh) was; he should be respected and praised."

Huda Attar, 26, said she has been sending many e-mails about who the Prophet (pbuh) really was. "My messages about our Prophet have been forwarded to my Western friends who do not speak Arabic. "It is a brief introduction to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)."

The messages include explanations in English about the Prophet and also links to videos with more information.

"Our aim now is to send these types of messages to whoever watched the controversial movie so they can find out the truth about our beloved Prophet."

She said she has seen more than 1,000 young boys and girls from Jeddah taking part in such campaigns.

Muneer Al-Ghamdi, a government employee, said such campaigns helps to spread the truth and is the right way to respond to the anti-Islam film.

He added: "I am not with those who went out and held violent protests in the streets because violence and killings are not what Islam is all about."

Al-Ghamdi urged young children who are frequent users of Facebook, Twitter and other social channels to start their own campaigns to show the real character of the Prophet.

Muhammad Ghazali and his friends decided to make videos covering the life of the Prophet.

Ghazali told Saudi Gazette they were offended by the movie. He said: "Of course we were angry and we wanted to show our anger in a peaceful manner.

"Therefore we started to use the Net to show our anger but in a way that can reach those who have no respect for our beloved Prophet."

Right away, Ghazali and his schoolmates began using Facebook as their gateway to spread the message. He said they created a video on the biography of the Prophet.

Many Saudi scholars, writers, journalists and celebrities have been using social media to urge young men and women to use their creativity and respond to the video in a peaceful way and educate those do not know the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

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#1170 [Permalink] Posted on 22nd September 2012 02:01

Pakistan declares holiday to protest anti-Islam film

Pakistan declared Friday as a national holiday
in honour of the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him)

20 September 2012 - 04 Thul-Qedah 1433 H

SLAMABAD - The Pakistan government has declared Friday a national holiday in honour of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and called for peaceful protests against a US-made film deemed insulting to Islam.

The cabinet decided to make Friday an official "day of expression of love for the prophet" in response to the "Innocence of Muslims" movie, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said.

The film, believed to be made by extremist Christians in the United States, has triggered more than a week of furious protests and attacks across the Muslim world, which have killed least 30 people.

The sudden announcement of the holiday came after religious parties called for a day of protest on Friday to denounce the film and lawyers demonstrating in Islamabad denounced the government's "criminal silence" on the issue.

"We will send a message to the world that Muslims of Pakistan are protesting about this, and we won't tolerate even a single sentence against the dignity of the holy prophet," Kaira told a news conference. "We should make peaceful protest and pray to god to remove the weaknesses of the Muslim people, because of which we are facing this situation."

The head of a leading Sunni party, the Sunni Tehreek, on Monday urged people across the country to close their businesses and hold rallies against the film.

Sources said traders and transporters associations in the largest city and commercial hub Karachi had backed the call.

Around 500 protesting lawyers broke through a gate to Islamabad's heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave on Wednesday, chanting anti-US slogans and castigating the Pakistan government for failing to take strong action against the film.

A US flag was laid on the ground and the protesting lawyers walked over it one by one. Later they burnt the flag before the rally ended peacefully.

Pakistan, along with Afghanistan and Bangladesh, blocked video-sharing website YouTube this week after it failed to remove the offensive film.

Wednesday also saw the publication by a French magazine of a series of provocative cartoons caricaturing the Prophet (pbuh) which are likely to further inflame Muslim anger.

Embassies, consulates, cultural centers and international French schools in around 20 countries will be closed on Friday for fear of being targeted in demonstrations following weekly prayers.

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