Proposal to ban young children from Hajj

Rasa - Children below the age of 10 may be barred from performing Haj from next year.

News ID: 1446

Date: 21 October 2014 - 02:37

RNA - According to a report in a local Saudi newspaper, the subject came up for discussion during a recent meeting between the heads of pilgrim establishments and the Haj Ministry.

No decision has yet been taken on the proposal, said Al-Watan newspaper, quoting sources. It is only a point of discussion at the moment, it said.

The proposal stemmed from the fact that rising temperatures and a very high density of people at the holy sites during the annual pilgrimage put children at risk. In addition, there is a great possibility of children’s catching infections.

Arab News saw hundreds of children during Haj this year. They were even brought by their parents to the Jamrat Bridge to perform the stoning of the devil ritual. This mandatory ritual generally takes place in the afternoon and is considered difficult and challenging even for the most able-bodied pilgrims.

The Haj Ministry’s field teams discovered hundreds of children, almost two-thirds of them under the age of six, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and other holy sites during this year’s Haj.

The ministry estimated their number at between 5,000 and 7,000. Many of these children had fallen ill from the strain on their fragile bodies.

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