Women Pilgrims Without Male Companions Detained
Geo Beats
2012-09-28
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Women Pilgrims Without Male Companions Detained - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.
Hundreds of female Muslim pilgrims from Nigeria were stopped by Saudi Arabian authorities and are being threatened with deportation.
On their way to the Islamic holyland in Mecca, the women were denied access to Saudi Arabia without their approved male travel companions known as a muharram, which is usually a husband or a male family member.
They did not have a muharram, but they all had valid visas to make the trip.
Almost 400 of the women on their religious pilgrimage, known as a hajj, were only given food and water after the Nigerian Consul and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs contacted the Saudis.
During several meetings between Saudi Arabian and Nigerian officials in preparation for the hajj, the subject of having a muharram for women pilgrims was never discussed or brought up as an important issue.
A Nigerian Government representative said that one of them was sick and had no access to medicine. And the Nigerian authorities continue to work on securing their release, and have submitted a formal protest to the Saudi Arabian government.
Hundreds of female Muslim pilgrims from Nigeria were stopped by Saudi Arabian authorities and are being threatened with deportation.
On their way to the Islamic holyland in Mecca, the women were denied access to Saudi Arabia without their approved male travel companions known as a muharram, which is usually a husband or a male family member.
They did not have a muharram, but they all had valid visas to make the trip.
Almost 400 of the women on their religious pilgrimage, known as a hajj, were only given food and water after the Nigerian Consul and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs contacted the Saudis.
During several meetings between Saudi Arabian and Nigerian officials in preparation for the hajj, the subject of having a muharram for women pilgrims was never discussed or brought up as an important issue.
A Nigerian Government representative said that one of them was sick and had no access to medicine. And the Nigerian authorities continue to work on securing their release, and have submitted a formal protest to the Saudi Arabian government.
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