Muslim Pilgrims Undeterred by MERS Fears, Cast their Cares on the Lord

The mysterious Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which is a deadlier but less transmissible cousin of the SARS virus, has already infected and claimed the lives of 284 people in Saudi Arabia, making it the worst-hit country.

Despite the scare, faithful pilgrims from around the world are pouring into the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform their Umrah pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabia has accounted for a major bulk of the global death toll of MERS. That, however, doesn’t seem to concern those who live the dream of visiting the holy mosques in Makkah and Madina atleast once in their lifetime.

“We have received warnings by authorities in our country about MERS and were informed of the importance of taking precautions,” said 45-year-old Abdullah, a pilgrim from Malaysia.

The tourists are taking appropriate measures to protect themselves from being infected, however, their major faith remains in God. “God will protect me,” Abdullah says as he applies disinfectants and steps into the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

The local authorities are now distributing leaflets encouraging sanitation and hygiene to prevent the risk of infection.

Muslim Pilgrims Pour into the Holy City Undeterred by MERS Fears
Photo Credit: Flickr

“I am not afraid of the coronavirus,” a A Tunisian pilgrim, Safia Bin Mohammed shrugged off the fears of MERS, adding that it is not always easy to get a VISA.  “It was not easy to come here, so I couldn’t have postponed my pilgrimage,” said the 56-year-old woman.

Last year, over five million pilgrims had visited the kingdom for Hajj and Umrah, and this year, the number of Umrah pilgrims has already reached a whopping 4.8 million, official statistics reveal.

The WHO has not yet advised any special screenings or recommended any travel or trade restrictions so far. “We are complying with the instructions of the health authorities. The situation seems normal,” Murshed Ahmed, a Bangladeshi leading a group of 23 pilgrims from his country, explained. “The coronavirus has no impact on the Umrah season,” Saad Al Qurashi, a Saudi who works for an agency specialised in religious tourism, added.