Saudis assure safety of Filipino hajis

The government of Saudi Arabia has assured the safety of some 2,700 Filipino Muslims attending the annual Haj pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) said yesterday.

OMA executive director Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan said pilgrims setting out for the Haj are not under any immediate threat if war breaks out in the Middle East.

Ampatuan, who is also the special presidential envoy for the Haj, said the Saudi government has already put measures in place to ensure the security of the 3 million Muslim pilgrims expected to make the Haj.

The Haj is one of the pillars of the Islamic faith and every able-bodied Muslim must make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.

"We will be closely working with the Saudi Arabian government for the safety of our brothers who will be making the pilgrimage," Ampatuan said.

He also expressed optimism that the Iraqi forces, who are also Muslim, will respect the Haj. "The cities of Mecca and Medina are not in direct threat of any attack."

Ampatuan, however, warned that some sectors may use the Haj for political gain. "There were attempts in the past to inject politics in the Haj. I hope it will not happen again."

Preparations are being made for the possible evacuation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) deployed in high-risk areas in the Middle East.

This, as tensions increase between the United States and Iraq over Iraq’s reported non-compliance with the United Nations request that the Persian Gulf state dismantle its weapons of mass destruction.