400 Nigerian Female Hajj Pilgrims Detained In Saudi Arabia

Reports from Saudi Arabia has it that the Saudis has detained any female pilgrim who failed to provide her muharram – the approved male companion accompanying her on the trip, usually a husband, father or brother.

Authorities further threatened to deport the pilgrims to Nigeria.

The pilgrims arrived Jeddah in  two separate Max Air flights Sunday afternoon. One of the planes, conveyed pilgrims from Jigawa State while the second conveyed pilgrims from Sokoto State.

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Almost 400 women were only allowed to be supplied with water and food by the Saudis after strenuous efforts by the Nigerian Consul in Jeddah and a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad, who is the Amirul Hajj, has condemned the action of the Saudi authorities, describing it as “an insult to Nigeria and to this country’s millions of Muslims”.

”The Sultan added, “They never raised this issue and never demanded that the female pilgrims must have a muharram.”

4 COMMENTS

  1. It is a wellknown islamic principle that awoman is not allowed to travel without a guardian.Many saudi women do not perform hajj if they didnt get one of their mahrams ready to go with them.because the islamic schorlars have said :one of the conditions 4 a woman to go 4 hajj is presence of mahram and if she does not have any ,then hajj is not obligatory to her.and others said it permissable 4 her to follow agroup of well trusted and responsible men ,all these on the condtion of her being welldressed in her islamic outfits.and this is never meant to be an insult to a woman but it is rather a protection designed 4 her by Allah ,against any sexual harrassment or any difficulty she may come across ,because of her known weak nature.4 islam is a religion of rationalism.and this is just what the saudis meant.
    they also dont tolerate women remaining behind after hajj ,just to engage in some misbehaviours that are also contrary to islamic teachings .but nigerians dont listen.and this is why they decide to take it tough with them this time around ,at least to make them know there is some thing called “rules and regulations”.a womans mahram has so much clossness and authority over her that he can be forced to produce her before leaving or has also to remain behind .