Riyadh, Jun 17: Saudi Arabia is expected to scale back or call off this year's hajj pilgrimage for the first time in its modern history, observers say, a perilous decision as coronavirus cases spike.
Muslim nations are pressing Riyadh to give its much-delayed decision on whether the annual ritual will go ahead as scheduled in late July.
But as the kingdom negotiates a call fraught with political and economic risks in a tinderbox region, time is running out to organise logistics for one of the world's largest mass gatherings.
A full-scale hajj, which last year drew about 2.5 million pilgrims, appears increasingly unlikely after authorities advised Muslims in late March to defer preparations due to the fast-spreading disease.
"It's a toss-up between holding a nominal hajj and scrapping it entirely," a South Asian official in contact with Saudi hajj authorities said.
A Saudi official said: "The decision will soon be made and announced."
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, withdrew from the pilgrimage this month after pressing Riyadh for clarity, with a minister calling it a "very bitter and difficult decision".
Malaysia, Senegal and Singapore followed suit with similar announcements.
Many other countries with Muslim populations -- from Egypt and Morocco to Turkey, Lebanon and Bulgaria -- have said they are still awaiting Riyadh's decision.
In countries like France, faith leaders have urged Muslims to "postpone" their pilgrimage plans until next year due to the prevailing risks.
The hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a major potential source of contagion as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.
But any decision to limit or cancel the event risks annoying Muslim hardliners for whom religion trumps health concerns.
It could also trigger renewed scrutiny of the Saudi custodianship of Islam's holiest sites -- the kingdom's most powerful source of political legitimacy.
A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom's management of the hajj.
"Saudi Arabia is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told AFP.
"The delay in announcing its decision shows it understands the political consequences of cancelling the hajj or reducing its scale."
"Buying time"
The kingdom is "buying time" as it treads cautiously, the South Asian official said.
"At the last minute if Saudi says 'we are ready to do a full hajj', (logistically) many countries will not be in a position" to participate, he said.
Amid an ongoing suspension of international flights, a reduced hajj with only local residents is a likely scenario, the official added.
A decision to cancel the hajj would be a first since the kingdom was founded in 1932.
Saudi Arabia managed to hold the pilgrimage during previous outbreaks of Ebola and MERS.
But it is struggling to contain the virus amid a serious spike in daily cases and deaths since authorities began easing a nationwide lockdown in late May.
In Saudi hospitals, sources say intensive care beds are fast filling up and a growing number of health workers are contracting the virus as the total number of cases has topped 130,000. Deaths surpassed 1,000 on Monday.
To counter the spike, authorities this month tightened lockdown restrictions in the city of Jeddah, gateway to the pilgrimage city of Mecca.
"Heartbroken"
"The hajj is the most important spiritual journey in the life of any Muslim, but if Saudi Arabia proceeds in this scenario it will not only exert pressure on its own health system," said Yasmine Farouk from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"It could also be widely held responsible for fanning the pandemic."
A cancelled or watered-down hajj would represent a major loss of revenue for the kingdom, which is already reeling from the twin shocks of the virus-induced slowdown and a plunge in oil prices.
The smaller year-round umrah pilgrimage was already suspended in March.
Together, they add $12 billion to the Saudi economy every year, according to government figures.
A negative decision would likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip.
"I can't help but be heartbroken -- I've been waiting for years," Indonesian civil servant Ria Taurisnawati, 37, told AFP as she sobbed.
"All my preparations were done, the clothes were ready and I got the necessary vaccination. But God has another plan."
Mangalore, Oct 18: To combat cyber crime and tackle cases of online financial fraud, a cyber crime police station was recently sanctioned by the government to the Western Range of Karnataka State Police.
Comments
i had warned several times still he is disturbing my sister. please take into consideration
Hi
Myself Arun my number 9663448377..somebody hacking my mobile which disturbs my work..pls let us know is yher any possibility to find out who is doing this and take legal action .
Sir, I have recived several call from the number 8670534404 to my house cell number 9972464233 on 30 Nov 2019 (today) around 1.31PM saying that he is SYNDICATE BANK Manager, and asked to give credit card number urgently for renewal. but we dont have credit card, while we recalled him he not clearly answering only asking card number. so please find them and take action so that we can avoid others to become a victim of like this fraud.
My Alternate Contact Number for further communication is 8281157516.
Thanks Regards Muhammad Ali
I have cheated by online .in Instagram I saw one add that cheap rates for mble so I asked and he told that yea it's is original and u can trust me .after smetyms I believe him .he told to transfer money I believed him and transfer 11000 after rcving the amount he blocked me .he cheated lot of people like me so plzzz enquire about it plzz his nmbr is 9953447686 track his nmbr and arrest him as soon as possible sirr
Good morning sir,
Yesterday i received a call from 7632832300 saying that he is bank manager sbi . shanthi nagar bengaluru; and my atm card is blocked etc... later my husband called the same no. and that person used vulgar abusive language. they are frauds. please take necesssory action.
thanking you
sundari
Sir,
I have a complaint. today night someone put a number in my colleague Car. 8296262698 this is the number. In front of me its happen. i am helpless...
I had applied for a job online in quikr.com for katak mahindra bank at manglore. Later i got a call from a lady called akritisingh. She sent me a mail id [email protected] and told me to send my id proof and resume. The next day she called me and said that i have sent u the confirmation letter on your mail id. Please fill it and send. It told that i had to pay 1850 to ac no 20025631649 IFSC code FINO0001044 which was refundable. After i paid next day i got a call from kotak(as the person mentioned) he took the interview on phone. Later he said you are slected but you should do the documentation under world verification organization which will cost around 9000. Later i got a call from akritisingh she told me to pay 8000+ to ac no 1483104000077543 IFSC code IBKL0001483 i said i dont have money. So she said atleast half amount i should pay and remaining i can pay later. I said no. Please pay back 1850 which u told is refundable. She said ok ill pay back on Saturday but she dint. But today she isn't picking up the call.. I have all her call records. Her phone number is 9899452461. This took place on 7/6/2019 friday.
Respected sir, on 6th may 2019 from my account total amout
of rupees 49454 is debited. I feel somebody hacked my debit card.please help me.
Am wait8 for your reply. My contact num 7899494413
Do you know any cyber crime lawyers?Actually they have to initiate a strict disciplinary action against 2 people, one of whom is Soumalya Joardar of Karimpur,Nadia and the other one is Arijit Ganguly and you have to track down where he lives from your secret sources,Both of them are from Kolkata
Do you know any cyber crime lawyers?Actually they have to initiate a strict disciplinary action against 2 people, one of whom is Soumalya Joardar of Karimpur,Nadia and the other one is Arijit Ganguly and you have to track down where he lives from your secret sources,Both of them are from Kolkata
Sir somebody steal my mobile from KMC jyothi circle on 31 oct 2018.
Lenova A7010 Black
please help me sir
Ok
Hi, did you get any reply or help from the cyber department? My whatsapp too is hacked and my contacts keep showing online even when they are not. It appears online as soon as I or my other contacts come online and will go offline as soon as I or other contacts go offline.
Please help me out.
I received call from 09582354543 telling the call is lic , india to collect un claimed loyalty fund on lic policies. For which I need to pay in cheque a five figures amount .
I request the concerned authority to nab the culprits doing this kind of crime.
Today in my friends what's up status my old freind watsup photo has put but he is telling he is not put the status.i asked tat girl she also not send photo to him someone is using my watsup sometimes watsup name get deleted automatically so please help me
+67572211889 i got call from this no
Dear sir,
There are calls coming from the following nos. many times in a day to so many people in mangalore.
Please check these nos. and block them.
Nos.are- +67572211889; +67572211794
When checked online it shows papua new guinea
They seem like fraud people.
Kindly check and block these nos. at the earliest.
Best regards
Hlo sir I got one msg that I wined the price of rupees 750000 in U.K.. after one person called me, and he send his ID and 2 certificate, and after they said that I should pay a amount of rupees 29800 to Cash Exchange, now they are saying that I should pay a amount of rupees 66300... I just transfer the amount of rupees 29800 in their account I don't knw it's fake.. Now I know it... Plzzz help me sir.. I send u his number and which he send to me.. Even now he is in contact.. He is saying that he is foreign exchange officer... Their phone no that person who called me: 9205541391 Plzz help me sir.. Am a student I dnt hv any choice Sir
my phone has stolen
Shit..
My mobile no and whatsap not completely hacked in mangalore. Now +919483012450
+919483733467
Sir.. Please look into this serious matter. The same hacking.. Spying through computers.. And sending laser rays on private parts by these people who reside at nandigudda.. Happy bappal 1st cross. Kindly take stern action that is going on for 5months.
Sir.
My mobile no is hacked. No 9483012450. My emails and whatsap too is hacked. By some known people.
All my family s mobile no s are hacked and through whatsap and GPS mode they spy into all the families. Exact voices are to be heard. Spying our nudity whole day and night. Laser beam rays are used on us whole day. Can anyone please help. I am badly in need of help.
My sisters mobile too hacked her no is 9765002860.
One person is making scam to asking money. so I payed the amount of 1,45 000. please give that amount back sir .I don't no other way what to do sir plz help me sir
Recently my email accounts were hacked. t
The hacker has changed all the details in my profile and so I can not, in any way get access to my mails accounts. From my hacked mail account, they also sent a massage to the bank in which I am having account asking to transfer money to thier accounts.
Fortunately the dutiful and alert bank manager got doubt about this dubious mail and informed me. So was saved from financual loss.
I want to lodge a comolaint against this crime. I am clue less. can anybody help me in this regard ?
Sir. A nurse working in kmc had cheated me
An amount of 10000 I hav her pictures and contact number
9400465252 this is my number
Waiting for your reply
Yours faithfully yadu
respected sir,
Iam getting false messages to my mobile number from last one year, i tried to call but his mobile is switched off, because of this message
my family is in trouble, Please help my family to find this fraud guy who is trying to destroy my family.
hi 966577542819 this number sombody using in manglore area in whatsapp . idknow please check me ......................
Menika cerina ..
Fack account in facebook
Sir,
We are doing a campaign on STALKING . so we want to know more about cyber stalking. more than 80% of the people in India are victims of stalking..The above mentioned cases are a kind of stalking. But still people are not aware of stalking. I want to know whether will get any help from your side ..
Please do consider my request
I Need Mangalore Cyber Crime Police Station Number
I have been duped through fake ATM transaction by one Mr.sangeeth singhania..mobile no.8750437692. Got calls from this mobile . He messaged me four times regarding bonus points on my ATM and collected details about my ATM and duped me of Rs. 5000/ from my account. He was posing as SBI employee and even gave I'd no.
How can you help me in this regard,please.
A by details you need I will be ready to provide.
Please.....
My mail ID [email protected] is using by someone.sending message to others from this mail.please do the needful
Dear sir
From my above said account my address book which mail IDs are getting mail I am sick I need money etc. Including foreign mails also getting such messages.I Know it is a fraud work and for public interest I am raising this complain. e mail ID [email protected]. Please do needful
Received fraud call from ph.1203330500, and land line number 08468842309 name as told is \ vikas guptha\" called and asked for customer policy numbers and phone numbers.
It is a fraud call .plz look into it..
My number is 9945904363"
My mobile this member have 7753926268 no give mobile Bihar raxaul pari lenovo6000 plus imei 868627020865060
My mobile lenovo6000 plus this people 7753926268 Bihar raxaul I try but no give mobile so you help sir
Sir lost my lenovo6000 plus imei 868627020865060
868627020865078 please help sir surathkal police complain 4 Feb
My contact no 9686364610
sir lost my mobile lenovo6000 plus 3feb mrpl jbf site i complained surathkal police station 4feb so please help sir
Imei 868627020865060
868627020865078
My contact no 9686364610
Thanks sir
Sir lost my mobile lenovo6000 plus mrpl jbf site 3feb 4feb complain surathkal police station so pls hep sir
Imei 868627020865060
868627020865078
My contact no 9686364610
Thanks sir
Sir I lost lenovo6000plus Mobile imei 868627020865060&868627020865078 i complained surathkal police station
Feb 3 lost my mobile so pls help sir my contact no 9686364610
Respected sir i am mohammed aslam, in mangalore, i am poor man ,i took 10000 rupees from mohanraj kotekar(mobil no 9845228956) 8 years back (15% / month interest), , i will pay him more than 14000, now he is disturbing me and sending rowdys (lathish 9901931517) to whack me they touture me and they give JEEVA BEDARIKE, now i am in full loss and i have no money, if i tell them about complaining police, they told whole police department is in their hands, dear sir i kindly request u please save me and my family, ,please help sir, i will never forget you , thanking you
yours faith fully.
MOHAMMED ASLAM
9591328590 MANGALORE
I lost my mobile phone- Moto G 13000 rupees at Suratkal Market on 24/01/2016 with Railway CUG number.Same day I registered police complaint at suratkal police station.My mobile number is 8762267659
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