The head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Saleh Al-Hosain, deserves all praise and appreciation for his contributions to the Islamic Ummah. The Saudi leadership selected him to hold this important position — as well as the top position in the National Dialogue Forum — considering his unique qualities, including a readiness to listen with an open mind to the views of others.
I would like to request, on behalf of the women in Madinah, a meeting with him in order to find ways to end the sufferings of women visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque. I am writing this after my discussions with women officials at the mosque failed to produce any tangible results.
Since 1997, I have written several articles in newspapers on the need to improve facilities for women visitors to the two holy mosques. But unfortunately, the conditions in the women’s sections of the Prophet’s Mosque have gone from bad to worse. This has caused embarrassment to many visitors, including senior government officials, from many Muslim countries.
I am afraid that this situation will have a negative effect on the Kingdom’s international reputation. I have heard some women wondering why the Human Rights Commission was not taking up the issue of the ordeal women visitors endure at the gates of the mosque. They also wonder why the Kingdom signed an international agreement preventing discrimination against women. I hope a senior government official will visit the mosque to see how women are crowded into a small space at its eastern gates just before the beginning of prayers, especially Jumuah, Maghreb and Fajr prayers. I wish a photographer of a local newspaper had taken pictures of this, especially at Gates 25, 29 and 30. Now it is too late as the gates have been closed for the expansion project.
Two gates, previously allocated to men, have now been set apart for women to compensate for the closure of six gates for the expansion project. But the area in front of these gates, named after Abu Dar, is extremely narrow. And you can imagine the sad situation of women at these gates, especially just before the beginning of prayers. The main problem is the close search of women and their personal belongings by two gatekeepers.
We have asked the authorities several times to open the neighboring seven gates, named after King Abdul Aziz, in order to end the suffering of women, but our requests were in vain. I have personally had to pray many times outside the mosque because of the huge crowd at the gate. This week the expansion work has reached the two gates.
Two King Abdul Aziz gates have been opened while two others have been closed. Why don’t they open all seven in order to reduce overcrowding? What will be the situation during Ramadan when the number of people attending prayers doubles? The overcrowding at the gates will be greater during the fasting month, especially just before Maghreb, when women will be carrying food for breaking the fast. I have also written several times about the suffering of children who accompany their mothers.
The question to which we have not yet received an answer is why is there such a close search of women at the gates of the Prophet’s Mosque? We don’t see any such thing at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Why are mobile cameras banned in the women’s prayer area at the Prophet’s Mosque but allowed in the Grand Mosque? Why are the prohibitions applied only to women when there is no ban on men having cigarettes or knives? We have heard reports of thieves inside the mosque cutting men’s pockets and stealing their money.
In the women’s section where barriers are lifted for them to visit Rowdah Sharief and the Prophet’s Grave, there used to be a wide pathway without mats with Zamzam water coolers all along the way. In Ramadan, more coolers were available, thus making it easier for women to have drinking water when they broke their fast.
Since 2005, however, all these water coolers have been moved to the end of the section, adding to the woes of women. Now Ramadan is fast approaching and you can imagine the situation of the worshippers who are far from a source of water. Officials should also understand that most women come to the mosque without a prayer mat and Madinah is known for its severe cold weather that makes the cold marble of the floors even colder.
In the area opposite to the barrier, carpets were removed several years ago and one woman asked and was told it was to prevent women from slipping. This, I believe, is just ridiculing women. According to my knowledge, it is the marble that causes people, men and women, to slip — not the carpet. I can only ask the poor women visitors to be patient. At the same time, people like me will continue to write about improving the facilities and services for women worshippers in the Two Holy Mosques.
