Mecca: Bushra Shah, a 35-year-old Pakistan, said he realized a childhood dream by making a big pilgrimage to Mecca, and under the new rules he did it without “guardians” of men.
The Ministry of Hajj has officially allowed women of all ages to make pilgrimages without relatives of men, known as “Mehrem”, provided that they went in groups.
The decision was part of the social reform launched by the leader of the De Facto Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who tried to release the image of the kingdom of the kingdom and opened his dependent economy.
Since the increase in power, women have been allowed to drive and travel abroad without male guardians – even against the background of non-stop hard action against the critics of their government, including women’s rights activists.
“It’s like a dream that came true.
My childhood dreams are to make Hajj,” Shah told AFP, before leaving from his home in Jeddah, the main port city in Saudi Arabia West.
Hajj, one of the five Islamic pillars is a necessity for Muslims who have healthy bodies by doing so at least once in their lifetime.
For young mothers, make a pilgrimage with her husband and child will become a disorder that will prevent it from “fully concentrating on the ritual”.
Shah is one of 60,000 pilgrims chosen to take part in this year’s pilgrimage, which has been dramatically enhanced for the second year to run because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Only citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia, are chosen in the lottery, take part.
Officials said that 40 percent of pilgrims this year were women.
– ‘Gift from heaven’ – “Many women will also come with me.
I am very proud that we are now independent and do not need guardians,” Shah said.
Her husband, Ali Murtada, said he was “strongly suggested” his wife to travel alone, after the government’s decision to ban children to participate in the Hajj this year.
He will stay in Jeddah to take care of their child.
“We decided that one of us had to leave.
Maybe he will get pregnant next year or maybe children still will not be allowed to participate,” said the 38-year-old player.
It is not clear when the Hajj Ministry raised restrictions, and some women have reported that travel agents are still reluctant to accept travelers traveling without male friends for Hajj.
Some even posted advertisements that put aside female groups that are not accompanied, in a sign of suscamating social change fulfilling some resistance in a very conservative kingdom.
The authorities previously needed the presence of guardians for every female pilgrims under the age of 45, preventing many Muslim women throughout the world to make Hajj.
That is what happened to Marwa Shaker, an Egyptian woman who lives in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
“Hajj without guardians is a miracle,” 42-year-old, who works for civil society organizations, told AFP.
Now traveling to Mecca with three friends, the mother of three people have tried several times to make pilgrimages before the pandemic.
But he can’t because her husband has and not allowed to go again so fast.
“I feel very happy.
God has called me regardless of all obstacles,” he said.
For Sadaf Ghafoor, a British-Pakistani doctor, traveling without guardians is “the only choice”.
“We cannot leave children alone,” said the 40-year-old person about his three children.
Her husband decided to stay behind, and Ghafoor headed to Mecca with neighbors.
“It’s not easy to make a decision to go alone …
But we took this opportunity as a blessing,” he said.
In Mecca, women departed with Hajj as a ‘guardian’ rule
