Makkah News and Updates

4 September 2014

Riyadh/Mumbai: The Saudi Arabian authorities Wednesday denied any plan to move or destroy the Prophet’s Tomb adjacent to the Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah al-Munawwerah, and termed the news reports being circulated in the media as false, fabricated and misleading.

Putting a question mark over the publication of the news report – first carried by a British daily, and then followed blindly by many media houses especially those in India, a Saudi daily has accused ‘The Independent’ of ‘news theft, and ‘mistranslation’ of its report carried on the issue on August 25.

“There is no question of moving, destroying or making any change in the present status of the Prophet’s Tomb”, a top Saudi official is quoted as saying by the local media.

He also rebuffed the said reports as misleading, fabricated and totally false.

“This is something which we cannot even dream of doing. The report is baseless”, he said.

Meanwhile, Mowafaq al-Nowaysar, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Saudi newspaper The Makkah accused the Independent of “theft,” claiming they have “robbed” one of their journalists of his efforts.

In an editorial on Wednesday, Nowaysar said the Independent “fell in the trap of misunderstandings after it mistranslated” an Arabic article that was posted in Makkah Newspaper on Aug 25.

On Monday the British newspaper reported that the tomb of the Prophet Mohammad in the holy city of Madinah could be “destroyed” and the Prophet’s remains removed to an anonymous grave.

The article states that there are calls for the Prophet’s tomb to be “isolated,” not destroyed, explained Nowaysar. He also accused The Independent of previously stealing content from his newspaper.

The Independent is claiming the story as an exclusive, and many media outlets around the world carried the report having credited the paper as breaking the story.

Following the publication of the report in Bangladeshi media, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, a religion-based organisation, has announced to lay siege to the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday.

Speaking to Al Arabiya News on Wednesday, Omar al-Mudhwahi, the Saudi journalist who wrote the Makkah newspaper report said: “If they insist on stealing my work, at least they should allow me to provide them with an accurate translation … I would be glad to”.

“I had initially written about the proposal after reading a study by Saudi academic Dr. Ali bin Abdulaziz al-Shabal in a publication published on behalf of the General Presidency of the Two Holy mosques.”

In response to the allegations of “theft,” Deputy Managing Editor at the Independent, Will Gore, told Al Arabiya News on Wednesday they were “not aware of Makkah’s report” a week earlier.

“The information for our article was brought to our attention by the Saudi academic Dr. Irfan al-Alawi, who had read directly the work of Dr. Ali bin Abdulaziz al-Shabal and was concerned by its content. This follows on from previous Independent articles over recent years about the approach of the Saudi authorities to historical sites in Makkah and Madinah,” Gore said.

The news has also hit headlines in the Indian Urdu dailies with quotes from Saudi Arabian authorities who denied the report as baseless. The Urdu dailies also criticised the Indian media houses of carrying the Independent report with verification.

“The Indian English dailies not only carried The Independent report without the needed verification but they also deleted some paras in the report that contradicted claims made by in the UK daily’s report”, a Mumbai based Urdu daily said.

http://www.bhatkallys.com/gulf/grave-nabi/

September 3, 2014

By Hasib Noor

Yet another article about the destruction of the Prophet's grave is published and I catch the story early as it's released.

Wincing at the title of the article in the Independent, the UK national daily newspaper”…Muslim division… proposal… Mohamed's tomb,” I think to myself as I'm reading, “oh no, not again.”

Social media is absolutely livid. I'm getting tags, messages, and posts directed at me as everyone is inquiring about what is going on.

Why me? Living and studying in the City of the Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) is a mix of having a guilty conscience wrapped in a blessing.

We constantly question ourselves.

We constantly say it's not something we ever deserved.

But it's a blessing we have to constantly be thankful for and live up to the legacy of this city.

There is a tradition that's been passed down among the students to remind us of living up to that legacy, something age old. It's been narrated by each generation of Madinah students to the next. The saying goes:

“don't ever think you were so special to deserve to come here, but know that you needed this the most.”

Everything about being here reminds us of the responsibility. We are studying the faith that two billion people hold dear, in a tradition of over 1400 years, in the same location that the most beloved person to these two billion taught it in… the city of Madinah, one of the holiest cities in all of Islam.

The Prophet's masjid— Al-masjid Al-Nabawi —the world's oldest Islamic institution is the legacy of all of Islamic civilizations, scholarship, and history. All of it traces back to what every single Muslim shares and holds dear about this city. Not only because the masjid serves as the world's oldest Islamic learning institution, but because Muslims know the exact location where the beloved Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) is buried.

Madinah is where I read the article published by the Independent.

I feel sick. The language itself is loaded, divisive, intended to make an impact. And the reaction is the same. All of us feel it, think it, say it. “This CAN'T be true.”

I immediately send messages to my friends and contacts that are researchers at the Center for Historical Studies and Research of Madinah – to verify the news. My friend and long time researcher Abdullah Kabir Al-Shanqiti responds right away. He had already heard about the article. Many of the researchers, as well as the British-educated director of the center whom I know well, speak English. We have a conversation to discuss the details of the article and it is conclusive.

Standards of Journalism

Divisively worded to bring about an intended response, almost all of the facts in the article are not only out of context, but embellished or completely untrue. The article is laced with references to sectarian differences, and even manages to fit in a mention of ISIS for effect.

The source mentioned in the article, Dr. Irfan Al-Alawi, of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, represents a polarizing organization called the Center of Islamic Pluralism based out of Washington D.C. The background, connection, and history of the organization and Dr. Irfan Al-Alawi is deserving of an entire separate article.

The timing of this article was something that came to light as research was done by close friends that showed that the Independent regularly posted articles every year that seemingly recycled the same story regarding the destruction of masjid Nabwi, Mecca and/or the Prophet's ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) tomb. These articles date as far back as least to 2011. Dr. Alawi is consistently used as a source annually on this topic in 2011, 2012, 2013 and now with the most recent one in 2014. One can recognize a clear trend or what some might call agenda.

Focusing on the facts of the latest Independent article, the article was pure tabloid—not journalism and certainly not news. Written not with intent to share an event, but a planned disposition for an intended effect.

Worse, it seems entirely premeditated.

Who is Dr Al-Shabal?

The entire story plays off the words “proposal” and “plans.” Emphasizing the veneration of this site by all Muslims, Shia and Sunni, of all backgrounds to create a crisis —a strategic divisive effect.

The reality is, there was no such proposal, and there were no plans.

The article discussed a 61-page document by a “leading Islamic academic Dr Ali ibn AbdulAziz al-Shabal.” The reality is he is not a leading academic, unheard of by the Center of Historical Studies, and someone unknown until the Independent coined him as a “leading Islamic academic” figure.

The document he wrote was a paper that post-doctoral candidates in Saudi Arabian universities write in order to reach the level of adjunct professor. Al-Shabal teaches at imam University. He submitted this paper to the Committee of the Presidency of the Two Masjids in order to establish credibility and at the end of his paper he made suggestions. He did not submit a proposal to the government; that was never intended—let alone accepted. It was an entry submitted to an academic journal that was taken completely out of context in the Independent article—no, not out of context, seemingly used for an intended purpose.

The writer of the Independent article makes claim that Dr. Al-Shabal “calls for the destruction of chambers around the Prophet's grave ” and “the removal of Mohamed's remains to the nearby al-Baqi cemetery, where they would be interred anonymously.” A prominent and well known scholar and professor in Umm al Qurra University in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, from the lineage of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), Dr. Hatim Al-Awni Al-Sharif calls this a lie and the article a fabrication.

He says that Dr. Al-Shabal in fact called for the “separation” of the grave from the masjid structure and not destruction of the tomb or removal and relocation of the grave.

While correcting this fact, he scathingly critiques Dr.Al-Shabal'sdemic journal submission and called it “against the tradition of scholarship from the time of the companions and scholars of this ummah.”He further says while the Independent article stands corrected, “this does not change the fact that [Al-Shabal] went beyond all bounds… and the problem that exists with some is that they believe that they are more knowledgeable and stand more for (the defense of) monotheism than the entire Muslim nation, otherwise they would never have the audacity to put forth such a preposterous opinion!”

Dr Al-Sharif concludes that the academic paper went against the tradition and understanding of orthodoxy entirely and that even though the Independent was completely wrong, lied, and falsified what Dr. Al-Shabal wrote, it still is something that's rejected.

Furthermore, Dr. Al-Shabal was painted as a “leading islamic academic figure,” yet he does not represent any kind of scholarly decision-making body, such as the Council of Senior Scholars whom the government directly seeks approval from. Nor does he represent the Organization of the Islamic Council, a 500-member body comprised of scholars from all over the world that's based in Jeddah. Nor does he sit in the Fiqh Council (alMajma' al Fiqhi) another international council that has members such as renowned scholar Sh Abdullah ibn Bayyah, and holds its meetings in Mecca.

This single fact shows how little the Independent even knows about how scholarly bodies are petitioned when it comes to matters dealing with Islam's holiest sites.

Flashback to last year—the Council of Scholars in Saudi Arabia oversaw the decision to expand the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)'s masjid. An official government proposal and plan was given to them for approval. The expansion of the masjid in this proposal required changing the place of where the imam leads prayers in the original masjid.

For over 1000 years Imams have led prayer here. This proposal suggested—for the first time in Muslim history—that the imam would deliver sermons on a minbar other than the pulpit of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

The Council unanimously rejected the proposal with the exception of only two members who gave secondary suggestions. The King called for a readjustment of the expansion to demolish all of the 5 star hotels in the back of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) masjid and expand in a direction that preserves the original building, pulpit, and prayer cove.

I had to ask. How could the Council of Scholars, made up of at least one Madinan scholar, my own teacher, Sh. Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Shanqiti, reject a plan and proposal to not have the pulpit of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) moved, yet they listened to a plan for his tomb to be moved? It was something impossible.

A Divisive Strategy to Sow Seeds of Discord

The problem of manufactured journalism is something we've seen more rampant today. A former CNN reporter, Amber Lyon, exposed that some news outlets even get paid by governments.

Regardless, seeds of discord spread among Muslims throughout social media because of the pervasive and almost subliminal impact such media plays. Many went in deep hate mode and lunged full on attacks.. without checking the facts.

When the facts were pointed out to many that the article contains false information, most seem to not care, “the reality is we can't forget that Saudi did…” or “but in Saudi…” type rhetoric spread. Even academics that lay claim to scholastic standard, even journalists, even educators… many fell prey to the exact intention of the article —the sowing of discord.

For many equating Saudi to not just a government but to an ideology that pigeonhole others became comfortable, again. The “they” and “us” is something that spread through the discussions on social media, no matter which “spectrum” the person belonged to. The standing and representing movements rather than Islam again reared its ugly head.

Many let their feelings dictate their rationale—it didn't matter if the assertions in the article are false, there is injustice that needs to be spoken against, and criticism that needs to be made.

Destruction and Preservation in the Haramain

We must admit. We must be truthful. The realities of history, the truth of demolishing many archaeological sites, historical locations, and other damages to the two holiest sites in Islam is something that is concrete, recorded, and undeniable. There is no doubt, a time, a place, and a discourse that must be had on the destruction of historical sites (I plan on writing a critical analysis of the destruction and preservation of historical sites in the Haramain). However, many do not know about the existence and the work of the organizations to preserve historical sites. In fact, the Center for Historical Studies and Research of Madinah has an entire division that oversees preservation of archaeological sites in Madinah, makes recommendations to the government body overseeing expansion, and I have personally witnessed the director signing 18 sites to be preserved in the future expansion of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him)'s masjid.

Another organization that does the same in Mecca is called the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, and many other organizations exist both in Mecca and Madinah that work to preserve historical and archaeological sites as best as they can.

But what must be realized, what must resonate, is that there is no doubt that this strategy of manufactured journalism to sow discord is prevalent and strategically placed.

Muslims cannot afford to fall prey to this. Muslims cannot accept to give up the ethos of our faith in verifying news, not spreading everything we hear, and lose sight of the brotherhood that unifies us to collectively speak out against injustice, oppression, and transgression in our faith.

Muslims cannot fall into emboldening sentiments of partisanship and hatred that these type of articles wish for.

Right now a correction of false information that's spread, an understanding of our history, our heritage, our tradition, and our knowledge must be sought. It is in these turbulent times that we clearly see the work of strategy in play, and it is in these times that we beseech our teachers, our scholars, our academics, our journalists, our educators, all Muslims to hold fast and not let distraction seep in. Not let the seeds of discord blur our vision. Not let the disagreements distance ourselves from the objective of reaching a mutual understanding. Holding tight to the same rope, the unity of Muslims, a mutual understanding, a strength must be kept.

Holding on to the Legacy of Madinah

After my preliminary responses on Twitter, I had the opportunity to have an exchange with prominent British journalist Mehdi Hasan. The disagreement over the facts wasn't there. It was a deeper sentiment that the article targeted and wished to sow.

We had a calm exchange, where we laid out our points. I pointed out the factual inaccuracy and emphasized that. And the exchange ended cheerfully with me offering him a cup of tea on his next visit to the holy city of Madinah and a discussion we can have—person to person.

He happily obliged and said he was looking forward to it.

And I responded; I assured him the Legacy of Madinah is alive and well and will continue to be. This legacy will always defeat those who wish the seeds of discord. The legacy of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) that is ingrained in our faith to overcome and realize the bigger picture, know and understand not just the time to discuss disagreements but the place and environment as well, and to see through the elements that wish to sow that discord in our ranks.

This is the type of discourse we should encourage to have with one another, this is the type of legacy that we should preserve.

In trying times where there are major events occurring in the world, our priorities should be directed by that legacy. A legacy that informs us, that the honor, blood, and sanctity of a Muslim is holier than the Ka'aba itself (1). A legacy that tells us, “It is enough of a lie to relate to others everything you hear (2).” A legacy that guides us, “O you who have believed, if there comes to you an immoral person with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful (3).”

Let's uphold to that legacy, and not allow our discourse to be set by divisive elements and let discord sow in our hearts and ranks. These are from the hadiths of the beloved, our Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and guidance from the Qur'an. That is the legacy we must carry.

That legacy lives on… and will continue to live on.

Hasib Noor, completing his final year in Bachelors at the College of Islamic Law in the University of Madinah, following undergraduate study in the US majoring Pre-Med & minor in Psychology.

FOOTNOTES:

1. A hadith narrated in Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, & Ibn Hibban- by Abdullah ibn Amr raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) who said “I saw the Messenger of Allah ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) circumambulating the Ka'bah and saying: 'How beautiful are you and how good your fragrance; how great are you and how great your sanctity. By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the sanctity of the believer is greater before Allah than your sanctity, his blood and his wealth, and to think anything but good of him.'”

2. A hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim by Abu Hurayrah raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him)

3. Qur'an 49:6

http://muslimmatters.org/2014/09/03/...rophets-grave/

 

Explanatory statement from the Presidency (GPH)
about the rumors about the grave Sharif
and the Prophet's room in the Prophet's Mosque

بيان توضيحي من الرئاسة عن ما أشيع حول القبر الشريف
والحجرة النبوية في المسجد النبوي

Thursday 4 September 2014

The employees of the Grand Mosque in Makkah kicked off a blood donation campaign on Tuesday with Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, officially opening the campaign by donating his blood.

The blood donation campaign will run for five days, according to a statement from the presidency.

Meanwhile, an Indian expatriate group is organizing a blood donation camp to support needy Haj pilgrims during their stay in the Kingdom.

The expat organization is inviting members of the public to donate blood, which will be utilized for Haj pilgrims in emergency situations.

Mohammed Maunaff, president of Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) Jeddah region, said that his organization with the collaboration of King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah will be organizing a blood donation camp on Sept. 5 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the King Fahd hospital in which more than 200 volunteers are expected to donate blood.

“We have been conducting the blood donation campaign in Jeddah for the last five years with the inspiration of Qur'anic verse that states that saving a life is akin to saving the whole of mankind,” Munaf added.

He also emphasized the fact that donating blood every three months is a healthy practice which is ignored by most expatriate communities in Kingdom.

He said that his organization has chapters in different parts of the Kingdom which are also conducting blood donation campaigns for Haj pilgrims with the support of local hospitals run by the Health Ministry.

Munaff also urged the Indian community to come forward for the noble cause and donate blood to save lives. He said that interested persons can come to the blood bank of King Fahd Hospital or call Salahudeen on 0508326083 for details.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/625026 Thursday 4 September 2014

As part of its strategic health program for Haj, the Ministry of Health has set up a Central Command Center to monitor the health conditions of Haj pilgrims coming from all parts of the world, a senior MoH official said here on Wednesday.

This year, the center will focus on the Ebola virus and MERS coronavirus during the pilgrimage.

“We are monitoring the movement of all incoming pilgrims at all entry points to the Kingdom with the help of our trained health officials,” Hussein Ghannam, general supervisor of the general directorate of health affairs for Haj and Umrah, said.

Ghannam was speaking to the press following the sixth meeting of the Haj preparatory committee of the MoH held on Tuesday, chaired by Mohammed Hamzah Khosheim, deputy health minister for planning and development. He added that the MoH has deployed health officials at 15 ports of entry via land, sea and air, to monitor the entry of Haj pilgrims during this season. “They are expected to take preventive and curative measures to keep infections under control.

He said that the health officials posted at the ports of entry would ensure the pilgrims had already taken the vaccination from their ports of origin as advised earlier. “If they have not done so, relevant doses will be given to them at the ports of entry so that they would be fortified with immunity against the respective diseases,” the deputy minister said. “They would be reporting any developments to the central command committee on a 24-hour basis. "

All health officials who serve the pilgrims will wear face mask during their meeting with them.

The hospitals and health care clinics in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah are fully equipped with the required manpower, ambulances, equipment and medicines for preventive and curative treatments.

The MoH, through its overseas Saudi missions, has already instructed the incoming pilgrims to produce vaccination certificates against yellow fever, meningitis, polio and influenza depending on the countries of origin. Most of the pilgrims from the African and South American continents have been advised to take vaccination against yellow fever which is endemic to these countries and vaccinations against meningitis have been made mandatory for all pilgrims since it can be spread due to congestion of people, coughing and droplets from infected people.

The official said the ministry had spelt out the quarantine regulations of the Kingdom. They include a valid certificate of vaccination against meningitis 10 days before the departure of the pilgrims to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, as well as to obtain a certificate of vaccination against polio from pilgrims coming from the disease-affected countries.

http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/625031

Thursday 4 September 2014

The Haj Ministry will expand low-cost services to more than 41,000 pilgrims this year by allocating some of the vacant tents for the service, a senior official announced Wednesday.

“Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar has instructed authorities to allocate the tents returned by some companies to provide low-cost services,” said Hussein bin Nasser Al-Sharief, deputy minister for Haj affairs.

The minister gave the instruction after learning the growing demand for low-cost Haj services from both Saudis and expats.

More than 60 percent of slots for low-cost Haj accommodation made available online were filled within 24 hours after the portal was opened on Monday.

Al-Sharief said the minister has instructed to increase the duration for online application for one more day, bringing the total to 72 hours.

The ministry had announced that only half of its low-cost Haj applications were put up online, while the rest had been allocated to Haj operators.
As such, 20,500 people will join the scheme through online applications and 20,500 through Haj agents.

“A total of 12,500 pilgrims had booked by 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday,” Al-Sharief said. “Of these applicants, 2,120 have paid, while other applicants must pay within 48 hours of booking, otherwise their bookings will be canceled.”

More than half a million people had visited the online portal within a day. The site is still being visited by thousands of people and the number is expected to increase over the next 24 hours.

The official said this year 174,556 domestic pilgrims — residents and Saudis — would preform Haj. Last year, the ministry provided low-cost services to 17,000 pilgrims from the Kingdom.

http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/625056

Thursday, 04 September 2014

MADINAH — They help the elderly and sick, guide pilgrims, crack down on pickpockets, break up fights among visitors and even help find girls who take refuge inside the Prophet's Mosque after running away from their families.

However, the biggest difficulty female police officers at the Prophet’s Mosque face is dealing with the female visitors who suffer from mental problems, said the chief of the women’s police station at the holy mosque.

Thamra Al-Shehri said: “Dealing with such patients need a lot of wisdom and patience. Once we control them, we hand them over to pertinent officers who take them outside the mosque.”

The female officers are also responsible for cracking down on pickpockets and beggars as well as runaway maids.

They ensure that the security situation inside the mosque is safe and under control and there is nothing that poses a danger to female visitors.

Many times the officers have helped identify girls who run away from their families and take refuge in the Prophet’s Mosque.

Al-Shehri said: “Once we have received a report of a runaway girl, we send officers all over the women’s section to comb the area and search for the girl. “When we find them, we call their parents and hand them over.”

Sometimes an argument or quarrel might occur between two female visitors, mostly from different nationalities, over their possessions. The female officers intervene immediately and break up the fight before things get out of hand. “If the matter can’t be solved at my office, I refer it to the central police station to take necessary measures,” she said.

Any lost items found on the floor of the mosque will be handed over to the women’s police station.

If the owners cannot be found within a month, the items will be sent to the Security Forces Command where they will be sold and the money given to the poor.

Brig. Gen. Muhammad Al-Ahmadi, commander of the security forces, said there are 30 female officers who are responsible for the security of the women’s sections.

“They provide different services such as helping visitors and the elderly, especially those who suffer from difficult medical conditions,” Al-Ahmadi said.

Amal Al-Radadi, security coordinator, said a new center will be set up to qualify female officers and help them cope with the pressures of work.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140904216948

 

Hajjnet - a personalised spiritual
journey through apps


Hajjnet

Friday 5 September 2014

The Haj Ministry has embarked on a unique program to welcome pilgrims once they are through passports and customs procedures and leave the airport’s lounges at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.

Pilgrims are welcomed by a group of students singing welcome songs, showering rose petals and spraying floral-scented water on them, and offering dates as a gesture of love and affection to the guests of Allah.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Albejaoa, director of the Haj Ministry’s branch in Madinah, said the program is implemented by the Ministry’s branch in partnership with the Education department in Madinah.

“The branch provides buses to commute the elementary students according to the specified schedule for each school. The students are accompanied by supervisors from the school to the airport,” he explained.

He added the program aims first of all to welcome the guests of Allah who come to perform Haj.

“It also aims to instill positive values in the youth, promote the culture of generosity in them and highlight the attention that the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah pays to visitors and worshipers,” he underlined.

Albejaoa said the program has received praise and encouragement from several bodies and institutions, with a number of them expressing their wishes to participate in it.

“Yesterday a voluntary scout group in Shaqra coordinated with the Youth Welfare Office in Madinah to participate in the program. We actually welcome such partnerships that enhance the sense of social responsibility and the culture of generosity in the different segments of society. Our citizens are honored to have King Abdullah as their leader and role model in this respect,” he said.

Albejaoa praised the support offered by the Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar, who personally supervises the program.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/625566 Friday 5 September 2014

Pilgrims with criminal records or who were deported last Haj will be caught out by a new fingerprinting system upon arrival and sent back home, according to the Passport Department.

“Personnel have been trained and are ready to cope with the influx of pilgrims coming into the Kingdom by land, sea and air routes,” said Gen. Ayed Al-Harbi, Passport Department commander for Haj Affairs.

“Sophisticated systems will ensure that there are no illegal pilgrims this year,” he said.

“The implementation of the fingerprinting system over the past two years has led to significant success in ensuring that pilgrims do not stay beyond their visas. In fact, there has been a decline in the number of pilgrims who overstay after they have completed their pilgrimage compared with previous years, according to statistics.”

Al-Habri refuted claims that pilgrims queue up for hours to get their paperwork stamped, insisting that there is a maximum waiting time of two minutes a head.

“We have trained personnel and state-of-the-art systems to ensure speed and accuracy,” he said.

“Our arrival halls can accommodate hundreds of pilgrims at a time. Few bogus Haj groups have arrived from abroad with the exception of a few from neighboring Gulf states thanks to the new biometric system.”

He added: “In addition, pilgrims are all treated equally at airport counters.” Al-Harbi reiterated that the department was keen on intensifying its media campaign to create awareness about regulations.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/625611

Friday 5 September 2014

The Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques has strongly denied reports that surfaced in Western media outlets claiming that the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Madinah may be removed.

“This is the personal opinion of a researcher, who had expressed his views in a study, and it does not reflect the views of the presidency or the Kingdom,” said Ahmed Al-Mansouri, the presidency’s media spokesman, on Thursday.

The spokesman urged media outlets and researchers to refrain from spreading speculative rumors about significant holy sanctuaries, affirming that a provision is made against such actions in the presidency’s charter.

“We are discussing the prospect of taking legal action against the British daily with our legal consultants,” Mowafaq Al-Nowaiser, deputy editor-in-chief of the “Makkah” newspaper, told Arab News.

The green dome atop the Prophet’s shrine was first built in 678 Hijri, according to a historical account published by the Madinah Municipality.
In 1228, Ottoman ruler Sultan Mahmud II reportedly renewed the dome and painted it green.

http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/625616 Friday, 05 September 2014

MAKKAH — The Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has stated that the media report pertaining to the grave of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), is based on the personal opinion of a researcher and the presidency has nothing to do with it.

“What is being circulated in the media about the chamber where the Prophet’s grave is situated at the Prophet’s Mosque is related to a special study carried out by a researcher.

It does not represent either the opinion of the presidency or the directive of the state, which has utmost keenness in serving the two holy mosques and maintaining their sanctity,” said Ahmad Al-Mansouri, spokesman of the presidency.

He was reacting to a report published by The Independent newspaper last Monday about an alleged plan to relocate the Prophet’s grave.

The report was based on a study by Saudi academic Ali Al-Shabal, which appeared in a publication published on behalf of the presidency. “Researchers and various outlets of media should not engage in publishing reports that create confusion and incite sedition.

The reports should be based on wisdom, objectivity, truthfulness and lack of exaggeration especially in those matters related to the holy mosques,” the spokesman added. – Khaled Al-Humaidi

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140905217133

Saturday 6 September 2014

A technical committee tasked with ensuring safety inside the Grand Mosque held a meeting with the Ministry of Higher Education to discuss health and safety measures during the expansion project.

The meeting, which was also attended by officials from the Finance and Interior ministries, General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque Affairs, the Binladin Group and the Supreme Haj Committee, in addition to public security and Civil Defense officials and the project consultant, was held at Umm Al-Qura University on Wednesday.

Faisal bin Fouad, chairman of the technical committee, said that this meeting was held to implement safety measures for workers according to international standards.

He further said that the expansion project will increase space for pilgrims considerably and make Umrah and Haj seasons safe and more efficient.

“The area around the House of God will have two new bridges,” he said. “Expansion work on the area for circumambulation will be complete ahead of this year’s Haj.”

The Finance Ministry also gave a presentation on what had been done to enhance safety measures.

The Binladin Group also explained the preventative plans they take to enhance safety procedures through implementing development procedural methods and the use of the world-class and specialized experts in the field.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/626071

Saturday 6 September 2014

The arrival of foreign Haj pilgrims is gaining momentum in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and the flow is expected to increase in the days ahead. The civil aviation authorities have notified the Haj Ministry that only two entry points have been designated to receive pilgrims by air: the Prince Mohammed bin Abddulaziz International Airport in Madinah and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

In the past many private tour operators from South Asian countries sent individual pilgrims through the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. “But this year, Haj pilgrims will only be allowed entry into the Kingdom through the airports in Jeddah and Madinah,” Khalid Al-Khaibary of the Civil Aviation authority said.

Some 101,814 pilgrims arrived in the Kingdom by Thursday from different parts of the world and with 26,001 pilgrims, the Indian contingent forms the largest block, according to statistics of the Haj Ministry.

“The Indian pilgrims arrived in Madinah on 91 flights,” said Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak. He said that due to heavy floods in Kashmir, flights from Srinagar had been temporarily suspended and would be rescheduled.
The consul general accompanied by Haj Consul Mohammad Noor Rahman Shaikh visited the Indian pilgrims on Thursday night to check on the food services and other arrangements in Madinah.

The consul general said that this year the Indian Haj mission has made arrangements for food catering services for the pilgrims during their stay in Madinah, adding that “providing catering services to pilgrims is a challenging job.”

He pointed out that the Indian Haj mission was only providing these catering services in Madinah and not in Makkah.

Mubarak confirmed that the pilgrims had started to move to Makkah as scheduled and iterated that the Indian Haj mission is working around the clock to serve the pilgrims in the holy cities.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/626016

Saturday 6 September 2014

The Haj pilgrimage is a peak season for all categories of expatriates to make extra money and is eagerly awaited. However, this year expats will be unable to take up seasonal jobs at Haj due to the new labor regulations that only allow them to work with their sponsors.

The vacuum left by expat workers will open the doors for Saudis to fill the numerous vacancies available during the Haj season. But there are some jobs that Saudi nationals would rather not do.

According to sources, there will be 20,000 seasonal jobs available for Saudis during the upcoming pilgrimage. “However, only 114 young Saudi applicants have expressed desire to work as drivers or technicians,” said Marwan Zubaidi, secretary-general of the General Syndicate of Cars and official spokesman for Haj transport companies.

“We will abide by the law and not hire expats to work in the seasonal jobs as part-timers,” Abdullah Salem, a manager of a local Haj establishment told Arab News. He said although these jobs were seasonal, the expats had transferred their sponsorships to be able to work there.

“In the past, we hired thousands of expat workers as translators, drivers and electricians but this year we will be unable to do so,” he said. “Most Saudis want to work as security men or as data entry personnel,” Salem said, adding that there are very few Saudis who want to take up technical jobs.

Meanwhile, over 20 companies currently operating in the Haj transportation field in Makkah are in need of employing thousands of Saudi youth. “But no Saudi youth have registered for any of the available jobs at my office for this Haj season,” said Marwan Khashoggi, deputy general manager of the Haj Bus Syndicate in Madinah.

He had earlier told Arab News that the office was seeking to employ more than 1,000 Saudi young men to work as guides on buses during the season.

“The coordinating body for pilgrim associations (Tawafa) opened its doors to receive job applications from Saudis last month. We are looking to hire Saudis for the seasonal jobs which the Haj season provides for them,” said Khashoggi.

http://www.arabnews.com/featured/news/626086

Sunday 7 September 2014

The British Embassy in Riyadh welcomed their pilgrims traveling to the Kingdom to perform Haj this year with the British Haj consular team ready to assist the guests of God.

“The Foreign and Commonwealth Office know how deeply important the Haj is to all those who attend it and has been providing assistance to the British nationals performing the Haj for the past 16 years. The British Embassy welcomes the pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj this year as well,” the embassy said in a statement on Saturday.

An embassy official said that this year the Haj consular team will be based at the Hilton hotel in Makkah and the British citizens performing Haj can visit the team’s office at the hotel for assistance from Sept. 28 to Oct 12

The official expressed his hope that “it will be a trouble-free Haj

He added that in case of any untoward incident, the British citizens can rest assured that help is at hand with the Haj consular team offering all assistance.
He said the British Haj team can be contacted around the clock on the emergency no. 00966 501 00 4268

The embassy has also provided another helpline number at the Hilton and British nationals seeking assistance from the consular Haj team can dial 00966 125 34 0000 for help.

The assistance team will provide the necessary support information such as money transfers, local contact details of hospitals, contact with relatives back home in case of emergency and emergency travel documents. The British embassy receives regular requests for help from pilgrims including disputes and dissatisfaction with tour operators.

The embassy has also asked British citizens to be cautious about their health, giving tips on health guidelines by WHO and the Ministry of Health.
Approximately 25,000 UK nationals travel for Haj annually, one of the world’s foremost events with around 2 million people participating globally.

Notably, Saudi authorities have acquired excellent crowd management skills in dealing with such large numbers of people.

It has become customary for countries to send a Haj delegation to discharge their duties to their nationals during the Haj and the British Haj delegation intends to do the same becoming the first western non-Muslim country to do so, the embassy statement said.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/626486