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Muslim pilgrims rest in front of a wall mural in Saudi Arabia that reads, "Complete the hajj and umrah for Allah". Many Yemenis will be unable to perform umrah this year. [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]
Yemenis will be unable to perform umrah or obtain work visas in Saudi Arabia this year because the Saudi embassy and its two consulates in Sanaa and Aden were closed following al-Qaeda's kidnapping of the kingdom's deputy consul in Aden in late March.
Mohammed al-Zaidi, 31, who resides in Hodeidah province, is one of many Yemenis affected by the Saudi embassy's closure. After he scraped up enough money to afford the high cost of the Saudi work visa application, the embassy closed its doors and suspended all applications.
"I cannot do anything. I quit my job to go to Saudi Arabia for work," he said. "I sold my wife's gold jewellery, and I borrowed money to get the visa and now I have lost everything. How will I face my wife and my family? It is very difficult."
Abdul Karim al-Saafani, vice president of the hajj and umrah department for the Yemen Tourism Union, told Al-Shorfa the tourism sector suffered heavy losses because of al-Qaeda's actions.
Eighty thousand Yemeni pilgrims will be unable to perform umrah this year because of al-Qaeda's kidnapping of Abdullah al-Khalidi, the Saudi deputy consul in Aden, he said. An estimated 55,000 Yemeni pilgrims performed umrah in Saudi Arabia last year, according to al-Saafani.
"Al-Qaeda has caused the tourism sector to suffer huge losses and increased poverty and unemployment, both among those working for the hajj and umrah agencies and individuals working in tourism in general," al-Saafani said. "The damage even extends to individuals who received work visas and cannot proceed because the Saudi consulates are still closed."
He called on King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to reconsider his decision to shut down the kingdom's embassy in Yemen so individuals planning to perform umrah can do so and applicants who already received work visas can complete the process.
In a statement released this month, the Yemen Tourism Union said the closings severely damaged the interests of Yemeni citizens, including workers, merchants, agricultural and industrial vendors, and Yemeni nationals living in Saudi Arabia. The damage extends to tourism companies, patients and pilgrims, who have been unable to obtain visas for months, it said.
The union condemned all criminal and terrorist acts and called on Yemen's defence and interior ministries to increase their efforts to secure the deputy consul's release.
"There are 1,640 work visa applications for Yemenis in Saudi Arabia which were being processed but are now halted," said Yasser al-Idrissi, who is responsible for work visas at the union.
The Saudi Labour Ministry issued visas for 20,000 people after the embassy closed, but the applicants have not been able to collect them, according to al-Idrissi. The visa is valid for two years, and he said he hopes Saudi Arabia will soon announce the reopening of its consulates in Yemen.
"The Yemeni people are not responsible for the kidnapping of the Saudi deputy consul," he said.
Sheikh Hassan Abdullah al-Sheikh, Yemen's deputy minister of endowments and guidance, told Al-Shorfa the country's umrah season this year depends on the deputy consul's release.
"Because of this incident, al-Qaeda denied Yemenis the opportunity to perform umrah," he said. "The Saudi authorities told us they will not reopen their consulates until al-Khalidi is returned by al-Qaeda unharmed."
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Ahmed
2012-9-26
To speak the truth, we are against those who abducted the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen. Shame on them, they have no respect
همام علي محمد سعيد
2012-8-23
Don't blame a person for another one's fault
جليبيب
2012-8-2
It is funny; the Saudi official is there since the beginning of Islam, to the extent that when he is absent, all the issues and cases stop, and when he is present, everything is easy going! I'm sure if you are exposed to other nations, you'll be funny and laughed at because of your ignorance!
فاروق
2012-8-2
Where are we, the Arabs of all these decisions and all these views to be taken?! Where are we while the Arab countries are falling one by one and destroyed at the hands of terrorist organizations and youth is wasted in vain?! Death every day, every day, mass bombings and slaughter on the roads every day, the value of the soul is destroyed by the absence of punishment which have never been performed on these criminals, terrorists. Where have we gone while our religion Islam's biography is being manipulated by all, thanks to those terrorist organizations that have made all Muslims like them in the eyes of the Worlds. Arab towns destroyed by terrorism and terrorists respectively with all of their terrorist armed organizations and by all the blood they shed and ruin in the territories of the country. Our religion is losing its good reputation that existed since the day the revelation came to Prophet Muhammad, and this has been by the hands of these terrorists. It is natural that they will see all Muslims as they see them on television and media programs, news, carrying arms, blood shedders, and wasting all beautiful and sophisticated things. All of this is due to these brutal terrorists. But we brought humiliation and shame upon ourselves when we allowed for differences to roll into our ranks and kill our Arab Identity and our brotherhood.
ريموو
2012-8-2
If the chaos is caused by terrorists, what are the Yemenis guilty of, who were forbidden to take the pilgrimage? Or to perform the Omra? These practices are only for God, so don't make a mistake and prevent them from visiting the Holy Mosques. That is forbidden!
ياسين خالدي
2012-8-1
Terrorism with his all hands including terrorist organizations in particular Al Qaeda which is the worse among them that created by Osama Bin Ladin before he died and after his death Al Qaeda became unstable and scattered did not knew where to go and who will plan for them in total meaning the organization did not know who will lead them after Osama Bin Ladin and who will get the external financial resources to continuo in their plan. Now Al Qaeda became very week where this is the time which we were looking for to make the Aras unite against terrorism.
الغول
2012-8-1
What is the guilt of Yemen?
احمد محمد عبد الجواد
2012-8-1
May God help you over what you are in!
يمني حر
2012-8-1
If the Saudi government is harmed, as they claim, from al-Qaeda organization, then why don't they work hand in hand with the government of reconciliation instead of giving the betrayal hand to the overthrown Saleh?! Or is she afraid from the success of the opposition in running the country? Stop your farce Al Saud! Even the goats in the mountain know about your plotting!
سس
2012-7-31
So?
جاسم شهاب الربيعي
2012-7-26
This is shameful to you O debauchers, because the great Islam has nothing to do with your crimes. Islam is the source of mercy and compassion. You are not true humans, because humanity means compassion. This accursed terrorist organization is a symbol of the loss of humanity on part of some humans. Al-Qaeda terrorist organization does not stay in certain places, because it has existence in all countries. It acts like the malicious epidemic that does not stay in one place, but it always seek to all what is beautiful to destroy it and kill all what is green in any state in which it activates. This is Al-Qaeda in Arabia, which searches for any state that achieved bloom and whose youth became full of hope to afflict it and make it miserable and immersed in the misery that can only end with death or escape. They forget, or at least pretend that they forget, that God watches over the acts of the slaves. The day would come when all the oppressors and their supporters would be punished for all their crimes. The result is the same whether the really forgot or pretended that they are so. They are equal in this crime. However, how can we blame the terrorists while they were encouraged by their victims? Indeed, the weakness that dominates the Arab lands reached its peak and it encourages all the oppresses to practice their violent acts against these countries. We are the one who accepted the humiliation and not anyone else.
افاق
2012-7-26
Al Qaeda have worked on displacement of citizens from their homes in Yemen and worked on the demolition of the future of Yemen by the devastation and destruction that they have spread all over Yemen, the citizen of Yemen suffered a lot of crimes of terrorism and has become the suffering caused to citizens by terrorist attacks, repeated on the citizens and repeated clashes between the government and these terrorist cells this is not the children to work in their cells and work on the demolition of their future and work on the demolition of their families.
صباح فنجان حطحوط
2012-7-26
The terrorist attacks of al-Qaeda against the State of Yemen are viewed as the worst crimes against humanity. In fact, al-Qaeda is responsible for many acts of murder, robbery, looting and violation of human rights. Indeed, they target human rights and humanity. The terrorists do not mind committing abominable deeds which are rejected by the Islamic religion as well as all the other heavenly religions. The human nature rejects their acts. Therefore, we must get rid of them all.
قيصر شنوب
2012-7-26
The Islamic movements affiliated to Al Qaeda have worked on kidnapping and prosecuting the security forces and to provoke dissension from time to time, it also caused a lot of countries t5o keep from helping Yemen, where they inflicted death often and cause strife between the large Yemeni families to cause a civil war. However, the awareness of the Yemeni citizens protected them from drifting behind their waves of disasters. The Yemeni government should work to eliminate those movements for the good of the nation especially that Yemen suffers of a lot of problems that need a lot of solutions.
رائدابونحل
2012-7-23
The student opened Al-Azhar University. Your brother Tamer Muhammad Tamer Okasha.
جمال محمد مبارك
2012-7-23
The Saudi authorities do not have the right to monopolize the performance of the religious rites of Muslims, because it is not the private property of the politicians and princes. This is prohibited!
معتصم خالد
2012-7-22
The revolution was popular. It arose and burst on Friday 11 February 2011, nicknamed "Rage Friday" (the third day of the fall of the regime of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt) that started because of the huge wave of protests that broke out in the Arab world in the early 2011, particularly in the revolution that toppled the Tunisian President Zeine al-Abidine Ben Ali and followed by the Egyptian revolution on January 25 which toppled President Husni Mubarak. Accordingly, as an inspiration from those States, the youth and the opposition parties began to claim the Yemeni regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh who has ruled the country for 33 years and carried out political, economic and social reforms. But Yemen needs stronger support from the Gulf countries to restore its security and stability, and to get rid of the armed demonstrations in the capital and major cities, and to provide the technical and logistical expertise and the financial support to the political, economic, the security tracks and the reorganization of the fight against terrorism, military threats and on the public order. And support to solve the economic problems of Yemen that are real and need organized and concerted efforts in order for Yemen to return as it was and even better. Also, the focus on the development of the institutions which constitute the major obstacle to overcoming the current economic difficulties, knowing that the long-term success depends on Yemen itself.
دموعى وقلبى انا
2012-7-22
Basically, it is prohibited to keep Muslims from visiting the two holiest mosques in Islam, Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, regardless of the political events. They have nothing to do with it. By God, what we Muslims are doing to each other is outrageous.
AMIRA
2012-7-16
This is prohibited! May God be with you!
احمد
2012-7-14
Do not jump to conclusions; there might be a reason.
أبو جهينه
2012-7-13
The defendant is Saudi, and the one who was kidnapped is Saudi, so what are the Yemenis guilty of? Best regards to the Saudi Foreign Affairs.
علي
2012-7-13
Al-Qaeda committed many crimes against the Yemenis in many aspects and they are unimaginable and countless. First, they seized their houses and properties and they also worked hard to destroy the future of the Yemenis. The people of al-Qaeda also succeeded in destabilizing Yemen and causing many troubles that affected most of the sectors of the state. Yemen needs all of its children to support it to get to the safe side for a better future. All Yemenis must cooperate to eliminate the cells of al-Qaeda. They should help the security forces in their war on terrorism and the terrorist organizations, which spread destruction and many trebles to the citizens. They spread the poverty and hunger that embitter the lives of most Yemenis, let alone the crimes of murder and torture that they commit against the Yemeni citizens and the security forces.
yemeny
2012-7-12
The holy sites are supposed to be under the supervision of the Organization of the Islamic Conference or any Islamic organization. Pilgrimage should be organized by a neutral entity like the Vatican because the holy sites belong to all the Muslims and they are not Saudi lands.
احمد حداد
2012-7-9
Forbidden!
ahmed
2012-7-9
Our kind Messenger said: Do not ban the servants of God from mosques. No creature on earth has the right to stop Yemenis from going to the Two Holy Mosques. For one man, you attack a whole nation? The Yemeni people and land are the ones who are harmed the most because of al-Qaeda. They are not the reason for its being established and created in Yemen. It was established because of the treacherous agents who destroy their nation! They have to open the embassy before we go on foot, like our grandfathers.
أبو هاني
2012-7-8
Saudi Arabia loves Yemen regardless of these words, because the one responsible for letting Yemenis enter the Kingdom is King Abdullah, not the al-Qaeda organization.
التهامى
2012-7-8
No one has the right to stop hajj and umrah . "And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is disgrace and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment." (Al-Baqarah: 114)
هدى
2012-7-3
Peace be upon you! What are the Yemenis guilty of to deserve to be deprived of making the Omra Manasek pilgrimage? All those who have decided to do this will be guilty, because they refused to welcome Mu'tamereen. Moreover, all those who go to do the Omra are not uninvited guests; they are al-Rahman's guests. Don't keep al-Rahman's guests from visiting him!
آمال منصور
2012-7-3
This is a strange incident…The kidnapped is Saudi and the kidnapper is Saudi, so why do we care! This is the fault of the father who has two sons, one is immoral and the other is in debt…They quarreled together at their neighbor's house, then one put his brother in jail…The father could do nothing but prevent the neighbor from passing by his house, although he spent a lot of money…What can we say but that God is our supporter and helper?!
فاب
2012-7-2
The ambassador isn't kidnapped
سعد علي محيسن
2012-7-1
Al-Qaeda has got to release the ambassador, let him go to his family and to his work, if they really work for religion. They are responsible for this act.
assaqr
2012-6-29
Praise be to the government of Yemen; they banished the owners of the house from their house.
احمد المنصوري
2012-6-29
What are those poor people guilty of?
krym al bawti
2012-6-29
No one in the whole world has the right to ban anyone from visiting the Honored Makkah and the Messenger in Medina. No one on earth has the right to control Muslims with regard to visiting them; he is not granting them a favor by letting them visit for the Umrah and Hajj. Organizing the visits is the duty of the people of the country; they have to offer services to the pilgrims so as to help them fulfill the religious rites. They have to treat Muslims well, even though I hear from some people that the treatment by the policemen, especially on the borders, is bad sometimes. I hope this topic will be considered, so as not to have problems, God forbid, because Muslims are equals. There is no difference between an Arab and a non-Arab except in terms of piety, as was said by the Generous Messenger. If possible, it would be better to ban the Shiites from visiting Makkah and Medina. I would support this decision, unless they seek the forgiveness of God and accept Islam!
حميد عبدالالة
2012-6-29
“Blessed Friday,” God willing, Ramadan will come and the embassy will open. God willing, King Abdullah will not let the Yemeni people down!
ام علاء
2012-6-28
I am a woman from Gaza. I want to visit the Holy House of God and perform the Umrah, i.e. the minor Hajj. God willing, this is my request to God!
حسين
2012-6-28
Yes, he might have contributed to depriving Yemenis of going to Hajj and Umrah, but there is no neutral staff to administer the affairs of the Saudi Embassy in Yemen.
عمر الفروي
2012-6-28
To whom it may concern: In Yemen, we are in a crisis that only God Almighty knows about. Closing the Saudi Embassy caused many problems for the people who want to go for Umrah or Hajj, in addition to the travelers, whether they are visiting or trading. Why are we deprived of visiting the Sacred House of God for no reason? The kidnaper is a Saudi and the one who was kidnapped is also a Saudi. Al-Qaeda is the reason. Why do the Yemeni people suffer inside and outside the country? First, I complain to God Almighty, and then to whom the matter may concern.