MAKKAH, 22 December 2007 — Despite the awareness campaign launched by the authorities months before the Haj against smuggling pilgrims to Makkah without permits, some people ignored the message and violated the law.
Some of these pilgrims were injured in the process and ended up in the hospital instead of Mina. One of the worst incidents happened one week before the Haj involved a bus accident carrying 25 illegal pilgrims. The bus overturned, killing one Egyptian pilgrim and injuring 24 others. Some of these pilgrims were seriously injured.
Muhammad Ali, an Egyptian pilgrim, decided to sneak into Makkah to perform Haj without a permit. He and his friends took the mountain roads where he fell from one of the hills and suffered from broken bones. His friends ran away because they feared that police would arrest them.
Ali was later found by a police patrol unit and transported to Al-Noor General Hospital.
Another pilgrim from Morocco, Al-Hassan Al-Qasmi, came all the way from Madinah to the Al-Shumaisi checkpoint between Jeddah and Makkah. Before the checkpoint he got out of the car and walked on foot to get around the checkpoint.
Fleeing cops he jumped from an overpass and was knocked unconscious. Doctors at the hospital said that it would take a very long time for the pilgrim to heal from his broken bones.
Another pilgrim, Muhulddin from Sudan, came all the way from Dammam to sneak into Makkah, for which he paid a smuggler SR800.
Outside Makkah, he decided to climb the mountains to Makkah, but not being adept at rock climbing the pilgirm fell and was seriously injured.
“It will take me three months to heal from injuries with physical therapy,” he said.
“Next time I think I’ll take the easier route and obtain a permit,” he added.
