Kuwait warns against illegal pilgrimage trips

Head of Kuwait Hajj Mission Dr. Adel Al-Falah urged pilgrims to heed Saudi authorities' instructions particularly those related to having Hajj (pilgrimage) permits and joining a legal pilgrimage campaign to enjoy their spiritual journey. "On the top of those instructions that must be heeded is the warning against joining pilgrimage trips organized by unauthorized Hajj campaigns," Al-Falah, also Undersecretary of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, told KUNA. He stressed that these instructions are meant to secure the safety of the pilgrims and the smoothness of the Hajj season. "The Kuwaiti authorities have done all in power to guarantee full commitment of all Hajj-related regulations," Al-Falah asserted. In this regard, the Kuwaiti authorities have asked ministry of information to ban publication or broadcast of commercials of illegal campaigns in all media outlets. Authorities also demanded Kuwaiti and Saudi airlines not to transport pilgrims who have no pilgrimage permits, he said. Despite these efforts, Al-Falah admitted that Saudi authorities have discovered at least 70 pilgrims, mostly women, who have come from Kuwait but without permits. He added that Kuwait Hajj Mission has intervened with the Saudi authorities to let them perform their hajj as they were victims to "greedy Hajj campaigns. "Those campaigns would be several punished by relevant Kuwaiti authorities, " Al-Falah vowed. On the other hand, Al-Falah dismissed circulated reports claiming that the Saudi authorities have allocated smaller camping places for Kuwaiti pilgrims than that of their Emirati peers. He asked all people particularly media outlets to double check of any information about Kuwaiti Hajj Mission before publishing it. Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must perform Hajj at least once in a lifetime.