668 Sierra Leonean Pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia
The final batch of eighteen (18) Sierra Leonean pilgrims arrived safely at the Hajj Terminal of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah at about 12:30 P.M Saudi local time on Monday, 8th November, 2010.
The pilgrims arrived on board a Middle East Flight – 0364 from Beirut- Lebanon. They were flown to Beirut by Royal Air Maroc Flight which took them from the Lungi International Airport.
The pilgrims – 15 men and 3 women were accompanied by two members of the Sierra Leone Hajj Mission, Alhaji Salieu Mansaray and Sheka S. Kamara, aka Shekitoo.
After successfully going through medical and immigration checks, the pilgrims were warmly received by the Minister Counsellor/ Head of Chancery, Ibrahim S. Yilla and other members of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Riyadh, deputizing the Ambassador, H.E Wusu B. Munu.
After completing the necessary airport formalities, which included payment of airport royalties, etc., the pilgrims were clad in their Hajj attires and immediately set off for the holy city of Mecca where they would be commencing their hajj rituals.
The first batch of 500 pilgrims led by the Chairman of the Hajj Coordinating Committee, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray which landed at Medina 1st November, 2010, have now completed their Medina Hajj ceremonies and are proceeding to Mecca today, 9th November, 2010 to join the two batches, 150 and 18 respectively that had arrived there.
This latest batch, most of whom are members of the Sierra Leone Hajj Mission, brings the total number of pilgrims that have now arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 2010 Hajj to 668.
It is however envisaged that the two batches that commenced their Hajj rituals in Mecca will be given the opportunity to visit Medina after completing their Hajj rituals in Mina and Arafat before departing for Freetown.
Meanwhile, the medical team that accompanied the pilgrims has confirmed that this latest batch of pilgrims is also in good shape.
Haja Captain Folorunso, a nurse attached to the 34 Military Hospital, Mariama Mansaray of the National Malaria Control Programme and Dr. Momodu Sesay attached to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation said that, they have so far not identified any major medical problem with the pilgrims, except few cases of minor pains and exhaustion.
The Hajj will officially commence early next week with over two million Muslims around the world expected to join in the pilgrimage.
The Hajj, considered the largest annual pilgrimage in the world is an Islamic religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia’s holy land of Mecca where the religion’s most sacred site, Kaaba, is located. The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam that every able-bodied Muslim performs at least once in his/her life time if the means are available.
By Alhaji Jalloh, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Riyadh- Saudi Arabia
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