Defiance and Solidarity: Pilgrims’ Prayers for Palestine Amidst Restrictions in Mecca
Watan-Pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca echoed prayers for Palestine and that God take care of the oppressors. This occurred despite security restrictions on all forms of solidarity with Gaza imposed by the Saudi authorities and enforced by Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais in the holy sites. Arrests were made of those who raised Palestinian flags or showed support symbols, as had happened in previous incidents.
In a widely circulated video, dozens performing Umrah rituals were seen walking inside the Grand Mosque, chanting, “O Allah, aid our brothers in Palestine.”
They continued their supplication: “O Almighty, O Forgiving, they have no protector, so they call upon Him, and there is no god besides You for them to seek refuge in.”
They also invoked prayers against the Jews and the oppressors: “O Allah, deal with the Jews. O Allah, deal with the oppressors. O Allah, deal with the Jews and whoever supports them, even if they become Jews themselves. O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Lord of the worlds.”
The video did not show any confrontation between the Mecca police and the fervent pilgrims in support of Gaza.
Activists expressed belief that the large number of pilgrims prevented police intervention or confrontation and this was showcased to the world’s cameras. Others mentioned that perhaps the security of the holy mosque had not yet noticed what was happening.
“اللهم عليك بالمطبعين”..
معتمرون يدعون لفلسطين داخل الحرم المكي رغم التضييقات الأمنية pic.twitter.com/fym3fGIKLr— شبكة رصد (@RassdNewsN) March 28, 2024
Praying for Palestine is prohibited by orders from Mohammed bin Salman
Saudi authorities had previously arrested Turkish citizen Mustafa Evi, who was wearing Ihram attire, for mentioning Gaza and Palestine in November 2023.
This arrest was not the only one; it was preceded by the arrest of reciter Abdul Hakim Algerian for the same reason, just days earlier, as he himself stated after his release, adding, “I didn’t know that praying for the people of Palestine was forbidden.”
Activists on social media circulated a video of an Algerian pilgrim recounting his arrest in Medina for praying for the people of Gaza.
The pilgrim in the video recounted that while in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, he took out his phone to pray for our Palestinian brothers in Gaza, who are subjected to brutal massacres, “because the area is sacred and blessed.”
He added that as soon as he began praying for the people of Gaza, security men stopped him, and he was detained “for praying for Gaza and its people.”
The area around the Grand Mosque in Mecca also witnessed several arrests of pilgrims who showed solidarity with Gaza, whether by chanting or raising the Palestinian flag. Several human rights institutions condemned these repressive acts by the Mohammed bin Salman regime against visitors to the House of Allah.
