Hajj, following a diplomatic spat over the detention of hundreds of
female pilgrims for arriving unaccompanied by men.
Saudi authorities have deported more than 600 female Nigerian pilgrims
and detained hundreds for trying to visit the holy city of Makkah
without male relatives.
Aminu Tambuwal, Nigeria's parliament speaker and the second most
powerful Muslim in the government, was due to visit Saudi Arabia on
Friday to try to resolve the spat. "The airlift operations have been
temporary stopped. It does not make sense to airlift people to be
detained on landing. We will resume when all outstanding issues are
resolved," Uba Mana, spokesman of National Hajj Commission, said by
telephone. Women in Saudi Arabia are regarded as minors and require
the permission of their guardian - father, brother, or husband - to
leave the country, receive some kinds of medical treatment or work.
They are not allowed to drive and are usually expected to be
accompanied by a male chaperone. "The Nigerian pilgrims came with
their visas stating that they have to have a male guardian
accompanying them, either a brother, a husband, or another relative,"
Saudi Hajj Ministry spokesman Hatim Kadi said.
"Some came with their guardians and were allowed to enter. Those who
came without their guardians were not. They violated the regulations
which were clearly printed on their passports." In Nigeria, where
there are 80 Million Muslims, many practice a less restrictive form of
Islam in which women are more or less free to move around as they
like. "I use this platform to plead with our compatriots, to leaders
in Nigeria to be mindful of statements that we make on this issue so
that we don't aggravate the situation," Tambuwal said late on
Thursday. All Muslims who are able are required to perform the Hajj at
least once, as one of the five pillars of Islam.
The numbers taking part have risen sharply over the last 80 years from
around 20,000 in 1932 to nearly three million in 2011.
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