I would like to make an urgent appeal to Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed. I want to request him to intervene and put an end to the behavior of some male security personnel toward women in the Grand Mosque in Makkah. I have seen with my own eyes unacceptable acts being committed by some of the security personnel against women who have traveled long distances, in spite of hardships and limited resources, to come to the holy place for worship.
We must all be grateful to Almighty Allah for bestowing on us the privilege of taking care of the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors. This is an honor unmatched by any other. Thus it becomes doubly unfortunate and sad to see some of those entrusted with protecting both the Holy Haram and the pilgrims misusing authority in a grossly improper and inappropriate way. By treating visitors with contempt and rudeness, these individuals do great harm to the holy place, their country, their religion and all Saudis.
Some of the acts committed by these people against old women are beyond imagination. I have seen examples of this kind of behavior as have many others, Saudis and non-Saudis. I can only say that this kind of behavior is contrary to all the teachings of Islam, against what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has revealed to us and against all human principles and values.
Pilgrims and visitors are being humiliated at the holiest place on earth. One day, I saw a group of elderly women trying to sit close to the Holy Kaaba after long tiring hours spent in prayer. They wanted to enjoy looking at and admiring the House of God, a dream they had spent their lives hoping to realize. Soldiers moved in to prevent the poor women from sitting where they were and ordered them to move away, pushing, shoving and shouting at them. Some being old and relatively feeble could not move as quickly as the soldiers thought they should. What happened next was unbelievable — the soldiers began kicking the women in their stomachs; some fell down with their belongings scattered in all directions. Some of the soldiers even used their hands to push the women, an act that Islam strictly forbids.
This is an appeal to the governor who is no doubt keen on seeing pilgrims and visitors receiving the best treatment and being provided the best facilities throughout their stay. I urge him to look into these matters and put and end to them and all such shameful behavior.
As a Muslim and a Saudi, I see it as my duty to alert officials to this unacceptable behavior and demand that such acts committed by some security personnel end immediately. I am confident the leadership of this country will never allow these things to happen and I am ready and willing to provide full information, including names, places and times.
— Arab News Local Press 9 October 2003
