Eleven clauses make up the onus the ministry has placed on pilgrims, outlining the duties that pilgrims must fulfill at various points during the Hajj ritual.
Morocco’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has placed an unprecedented “obligation” on pilgrims traveling to perform the 1445 Hajj rites, asking them to stop protesting throughout their religious journey.
Eleven clauses make up the onus the ministry has placed on pilgrims, outlining the duties that pilgrims must fulfill at various points during the Hajj ritual. In response, many have denounced the ministry’s move, especially describing the third clause, which requires pilgrims to remain silent even if the plane is delayed, as “unfair.”
The decried clause requires pilgrims to comply with the rules in force at the airport and not to resist security measures or administrative procedures. It also explicitly states that the mission is not responsible for any delays that may occur.
Pilgrims are also urged to maintain composure and wait without creating chaos, while another clause stipulates that protests and rioting are illegal in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season.
For many, this clause dehumanizes pilgrims and makes it impossible for them to stop the airline from violating their rights.
The ministry has responded to the widespread criticism by saying that the release of these clauses was part of its efforts to prevent pilgrims from protesting during this sacred religious ritual, as they have done in recent seasons.
The ministry added that while it has defended the rights of Moroccan pilgrims in the past, getting pilgrims to agree to abide by the clauses was a requirement of the Saudi authorities, who also want the hajj to take place without major incidents.
In highlighting its past fight for the rights of Moroccan pilgrims, the ministry was alluding to a June 2023 incident, when it officially protested to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah against the conditions in which Moroccan pilgrims were received.
The ministry’s protest concerned the reception conditions in Mina, a mountainous valley. In particular, it deplored the lack of beds exclusively for pilgrims and the diminishing surface area of the tents, which had led to severe overcrowding.
Source: Morrocco World News
