Saudi Arabia slaps new curbs on Qatari Haj pilgrims
Following the ongoing illegal blockade of Qatar, Saudi Arabia has reportedly imposed new restrictions on Qataris wanting to perform this year's Haj pilgrimage.
In a statement, the Saudi Haj ministry said Qatari pilgrims arriving by plane must use airlines in agreement with the Saudi authorities, reported Gulf Times.
They also needed to get visas on arrival in Jeddah or Medina, their sole points of entry in the kingdom.
It said Qataris and residents of the Gulf emirate could join the pilgrimage as they were already ‘electronically registered for the Haj' and they had the necessary permits from Riyadh and Doha. The Haj is to take place this year at the beginning of September.
Recently, Qatar’s Arabic daily Al Rayah had reported that a considerable number of winners in the electronic draw for Haj had decided to cancel their plans for the pilgrimage this year.
They have refrained from continuing with their Haj plans as they consider the situation to be highly uncertain in view of the blockade, according to the daily.
Meanwhile, the head of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) said his efforts to ease the humanitarian impact of the blockade on Qatari and other citizens has been rebuffed by human-rights groups in neighbouring Arab Gulf states.
NHRC chairman Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri said he had sent letters to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain asking them to appeal to their governments to spare Gulf citizens the humanitarian, social and economic consequences of the dispute, reported The Peninsula.
“We either got no response or have been attacked by our colleagues working on human-rights issues in the blockading nations,” he said.
He also said the Saudi government was putting obstacles against Qatari citizens who wished to perform the annual Haj pilgrimage this year despite its statement to the contrary.
“The Saudi government is inciting its citizens against Qataris. The government of Saudi Arabia should have a clear and open stance with regards to permitting Qataris to perform the Haj in Mecca this year without any hindrance,” he said.
We could only solve our problems if there is a cooperation with others. It would have been paradoxical not to cooperate. And therefore we needed to put an end to the Iron Curtain, to change the nature of international relations, to rid them of ideological confrontation, and particularly Qatar Neighbors who imposed the Blockade should put to end at the earliest possible as this is a clear violation of human rights and undermining Country’s sovereignty and national security.
This action just proves the real character of Saudi. They are no friends of Qatar, and we will never forget what they did.
We should follow the instructions very carefully. Good luck & best wishes for all.