War in the Middle East ensnares many Muslim pilgrims in travel chaos

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — travel chaos from war Conflicts in the Middle East have trapped many of the Muslims who have gathered in Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage, leaving them in a difficult situation and scrambling to find other ways to return home. Others had to cancel planned visits altogether.

For some religious performers, the war that has shaken the region has cast a shadow over their experience of visiting the kingdom’s holy sites.

More than 58,860 Indonesian pilgrims were stranded in Saudi Arabia as of Thursday, according to Indonesian Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak.

He said the government was in talks with Saudi officials and airlines to ease the financial burden of hotel and flight costs on stranded pilgrims. He said the government had also appealed to about 60,000 people to postpone their Umrah journeys until April for security reasons.

The ministry’s spokesman, Ichsan Marsha, described the situation as “an urgent humanitarian and logistical matter.”

A financial and emotional toll

Zanirah Faris, a pilgrim stranded in Saudi Arabia, told Indonesia’s iNews TV channel that her return flight was canceled and she was reassigned to another flight scheduled for March 12.

He called on the Indonesian government to help stranded pilgrims, especially those who cannot afford the extra costs resulting from such delays.

“Not everyone can book additional stays at a hotel,” he said, adding that it comes at an emotional cost. “I was disappointed because my children were waiting for me.”

Hundreds of thousands of people from Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, go to Saudi Arabia every year for Umrah rituals, especially during Ramadan. Unlike HajjHajj pilgrimage can be performed all year round.

About 1,600 Malaysian Umrah pilgrims are stranded in Saudi Arabia, Malaysian Consul General in Jeddah Mohamad Dzaraif Raja Abdul Kadir said on Tuesday. According to the national Bernama news agency, the condition of the pilgrims was stated to be good.

The official said his office opened a 24-hour operations room to monitor the situation and channel aid to affected citizens.

Malaysia Airlines has announced the temporary resumption of return services from Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia until Sunday.

Separately, Malaysia’s foreign ministry said it was working with diplomatic missions, regional governments and airlines to evacuate its stranded citizens, including pilgrims.

Beyond the Middle East, airports in the Gulf serve as critical hubs connecting travelers to Europe, Africa and Asia.

Sudden changes and family reunification

Maged Kholaif, a 44-year-old Egyptian, was supposed to return to Kuwait from Saudi Arabia on February 28, the day the war began, but his flight was canceled and rescheduled days later.

He stated that this was a sudden change from the positive mood and spirituality he had experienced during Umrah, adding: “It was a very difficult feeling.”

Kholaif, who is stranded with her husband and mother-in-law, is trying to find ways to return to Kuwait, where her children are. He could sense the situation escalating as he heard sirens and explosions from people in Kuwait. heard There.

“Everyone was scared,” Kholaif said.

He decided to return by land and arrived in Kuwait on Tuesday for an emotional reunion.

“When your kids are in front of you and in your arms, it doesn’t matter what happens next, as long as you’re together,” she said.

Difficult decisions and cancellations

Javed Khizer, 47, of Michigan, said he canceled an Umrah trip for himself and his family to Saudi Arabia via Türkiye and Qatar.

“We were looking at the news and stuff. We could just tell that the situation was getting worse,” he said. “It was a tough decision. … Who knows if I’ll be there next Ramadan? There’s no guarantee.”

For careful Muslims, Ramadan It is a time when prayers increase and daily fasting takes place from dawn to sunset.

Umrah is often referred to as the minor or minor pilgrimage and can be performed throughout the year, unlike the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam, is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to do it.

I try to focus on religious rituals

52-year-old Haji Majid Mughal, who visited Saudi Arabia with his family from the USA, said: “We see coming to the holy land as a call from God, and I think we strongly recommend that you come and visit this holy month of Ramadan, if you have the opportunity.”

However, he said that he would have canceled it if he had known that war would break out. He added that Mughal and his family learned of the attacks while en route to Saudi Arabia, and that some passengers on other routes were stranded at the airport, but his flight continued as normal.

During his visit, he said, “Everything is fine so far, thank God. There is no problem here.” “There are a lot of people during Ramadan. I see security as usual,” he said, adding: “We feel safe.”

Mughal said the family tried to focus on religious rituals as well as fasting, praying and bonding, but it was also difficult to disconnect from the news and they had to reassure those in the house that they were okay.

And then there are concerns about their journey home.

Stating that his children had to return to school and he had to return to work, he said, “We check the flight details and departure details almost every day to make sure the flights are continuing.”

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Fam reported from Cairo and Ng reported from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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