[ 2011-11-17 ]

Ghanaians pilgrims on demonstration In Mecca
Hundreds of Ghanaian pilgrims disturbed the peace
in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, when they took to the
streets to demonstrate against the poor
arrangement regarding this year’s Hajj.

In a country that is very sensitive to such
demonstrations, especially against the backdrop of
the contagion of the Arab spring, the Saudi police
quickly moved in to disperse the protesters.

The contagion of local politics appeared to have
found its way into the morass when perceived New
Patriotic Party (NPP) and their National
Democratic Congress (NDC) counterparts traded
arguments over the quality of the performance of
the Hajj Committee, the government installed Hajj
regulating body.

The immediate cause of the demonstration was the
weight ceiling for pilgrims which pegged at 40
kilos, in variance with the 46 kilos expectation
of the Ghanaian travelers. It appeared to have
been a spontaneous action, attracting scores of
others who soon gave the protest a status
unacceptable to the Saudi authorities, whose
secret agents are all over the place especially
during the pilgrimage.

Pilgrims expected the free weight to be 46 kilos,
and with the 20 Saudi Riyals per kilo directive,
these are worrying times for the anxious
travelers.

The country had its taste of the Arab spring when
hundreds of locals demonstrated in the streets,
demanding reforms to the political system, but
these were swiftly nipped in the bud before it
became a national security challenge.

Not even the intervention of the National Chief
Imam, who is part of this year’s pilgrims, could
stop the demonstration.

The Saudi authorities are fuming with rage over
how such a demonstration could take place by
pilgrims when the entire Arab world is
apprehensive of security threat to the status
quo.

DAILY GUIDE is reliably informed that news about
the development has already been relayed to Accra
with the authorities fretting over the implication
of the action.

The pilgrims are disappointed that the Hajj
Committee is showing indifference to their plight
at a time when most of them have already exhausted
their money and are anxious for the return trip to
Ghana to avert the challenges of not having money
to feed themselves on.

The first batch of Ghanaian pilgrims is due to
touch down on Sunday 20th November, 2011, and
unless the issue of their luggage is resolved,
many of the pilgrims would be disappointed in not
having their bags of souvenirs brought home.

Source - Daily Guide

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