Tunisia: Saied sacks minister after pilgrimage deaths
While millions make way for Mecca to complete the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Tunisia’s President took to social media to announce the involuntary resignation of the country’s minister of religious affairs after Tunisian pilgrims died en route, AFP reported on June 21st.
The Tunisian foreign ministry reported on 18th June that 35 pilgrims from Tunisia died while trying to complete the Hajj – an annual pilgrimage that Muslims aim to complete at least once. However, Tunisian media reported that the number of deaths had risen to 49 people.
READ: Saudi Arabia: Muslims feel the heat during Hajj
The news was followed by President Kais Saied’s post that declared his decision “to end the duties of Ibrahim Chaibi, the minister of religious affairs,”, and did not reveal any further details.
Tunisia’s ministry did not mention whether the deaths were related to the soaring temperatures, however, they stressed that the majority of those who died had traveled to Saudi Arabia using tourist visas that were granted outside of the government’s official pilgrimage programme.
Every year, official permits are issued to different nations by a quota system that can then be handed out to individuals through a lottery system.
Although it is considered an honour to partake in the Hajj pilgrimage, those who do obtain permits frequently take irregular routes to avoid higher fares.
On 21st June, AFP published a toll of 1,126 pilgrim deaths after gathering data from official statements and diplomatic sources. More than half of those who lost their lives were from Egypt.
The Guardian reported a story about a couple in their 60s who had been separated during the pilgrimage after the husband left to perform a ritual. Unfortunately, when he returned, his wife had been taken to a hospital after suffering from exhaustion and taken to a hospital to recover. The couple are yet to be reunited.
As temperatures in Mecca’s shade have been recorded at 51.8 degrees Celsius, it’s no surprise that many pilgrims become unwell or in extreme cases lose their lives whilst trying to complete the holiest practice.
AFP/The Guardian
