More than two million pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for the hajj. Photo / AP
More than two million pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for the hajj. Photo / AP
Saudi Arabia's international feuds have spilled over into the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
Qatar has accused the kingdom of barring its citizens, while Canadians fear being stranded there after Saudi Arabia suspended flights to Toronto following a spat over the kingdom's human rights record.
More than twomillion Muslims are in Mecca for the six-day ritual which started on Sunday. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam which every able-bodied Muslim with the means must fulfil once.
Qatar, which Saudi Arabia blockaded last year, has said more than 1200 eligible citizens have been barred from performing the pilgrimage, something the kingdom has denied.
"There is no chance this year for Qatari citizens and residents to travel for hajj," Abdullah al-Kaabi, who runs the state's human rights committee, told Reuters. "Registration of pilgrims from the State of Qatar remains closed."
Riyadh abruptly severed diplomatic and trade ties with Ottawa this month in response to Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland's tweet demanding the release of civil society activists in the kingdom. Riyadh also ended state-backed educational and medical programmes in Canada, which resulted in Saudi students in Canada having to return home.
Reuters reported that many Canadian Muslims had booked flights with Saudia, the Kingdom's official airline, to perform the hajj, which takes place from August 19 to 24 this year. And while Saudia trips to Mecca before August 13 were not affected, returns home prove to be a concern for many.
