Indonesia Suspends Pilgrimage to Holy Shrines in KSA for Second Year in Row

Today, Thursday, Indonesian Minister for Religious Affairs Yaqot Khalil Qomas, announced, during conference news, that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) won’t permit flights of pilgrimage to the holy shrines this year.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim populous country in the world with 260 million people, about 90% of them are Muslims.

It is worth noting that the KSA has affirmed that it will mount the rites of pilgrimage this year according to precautionary measurements to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading among pilgrims who come to the country.

The  Ministry of Hajj wa Umrah (pilgrimage and Ummrah)  in the KSA has announced that the kingdom prioritizes the health and safety of people.

The kingdom intends this year to mount the rites of pilgrimage within limits that keep the safety of the pilgrims in the light of health, security, and organizational safeguards.

However, last March the Saudi authorities have decided to evacuate the Grand Mosque of Mecca, which houses the Kaaba over the Coronavirus.

Muslims across the world turn their faces during the five daily prayers to the Kaaba.

This measurement, taken on Thursday, is the first one within decades.

The courtyard of the Kaaba seemed empty as the authorities cleared the surrounding area of that cubic building that centers the spacious mosque.

The visitors, worshipers, and pilgrims were prevented from entering the courtyard in a rare occurrence.

The Saudi authorities justified that decision as a preventive measure to confront the Coronavirus and reduce the chances of infection among the worshipers and visitors.

The live footage broadcast by the channel “The Holy Qur’an” space channel of the Great Mosque of Mecca throughout the day, showed the courtyard almost completely empty.

Only some security men and cleaners were present, with the aim of sterilizing the place, before allowing visitors to return to it later.

Saudi, Arab and Muslim bloggers from around the world traded photos and videos of the courtyard in the color of its white ground.

The floor of the Grand Mosque hardly is seen around the clock and throughout the days of the year with visitors, worshipers, and pilgrims.