CAIRO — Arab health ministers agreed on Wednesday to ban certain people including the elderly and young children from pilgrimage to Mecca in an effort to contain the spread of swine flu.
"Hajj and umrah will continue with some conditions," Ibrahim al-Kerdani, World Health Organisation spokesman in Egypt, said after a meeting of Arab health ministers in Cairo.
"Some groups will be excluded from hajj: people over the age of 65, people under the age of 12 and people with chronic illnesses," he told reporters.
The decision to keep the vulnerable groups away from the pilgrimage is yet to be ratified by the health ministers' governments, he said.
Hussein Gezairi, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, predicted that Riyadh would ratify the recommendations, adding there was a "consensus" among the health ministers at the meeting.
"The Saudi government will make (these conditions) a requirement... No one will get their visa unless these requirements are fulfilled," he said.
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i know i sound selfish but i was planning to do umrah in 6 months time with my children, because i know i cannot perform Haj until my kids are old enough to be left with other family members. If this goes through anytime soon it would mean i could not perform my umrah or hajj until my children were at least 6/7 when i would consider leaving them with family whilst i did my pilgrimage. But by that time i'm pretty sure i would have another infant or 2 (insha'Allah), so that would hinder me until i was in my late thirties or early 40.
I really really wanted to go before I got older, it looks like i might have to wait
and yes i do wish i had got married earlier, so my children would have been older and out the way, how wonderful hindsight is :roll:
“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]
I think this just covers hajj and for this year only. Inshallah you will get to go Umrah without hindrance.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.