Saudi forces arrest Egyptian pilgrim for raising Palestinian flag in Mecca
Saudi forces detained an Egyptian pilgrim in the holy city of Mecca for raising the Palestinian flag and protesting the Israeli-imposed siege and starvation in Gaza.
Video footage circulated online shows a man exclaiming “Wa Islamah!” – a phrase historically employed to convey distress when Islam or Muslims face peril, as he urgently appeals for assistance for the starving people of Gaza near the Ka’aba, a cube-shaped shrine that Muslims face when they pray.
The poignant scene, recorded and shared on social media, shows the pilgrim stating, “The children of Gaza are dying. O Muslims!”
A few seconds later, Saudi officers show up and detain him inside the mosque.
The incident has triggered widespread condemnation and reignited debate over Saudi Arabia’s strict bans on political expression at Islam’s holiest sites.
Authorities ban all slogans and symbols, including national flags, during Hajj and Umrah, asserting that these measures safeguard the sanctity of worship.
Nonetheless, critics argue that the kingdom employs these limitations to hinder support for Palestine and to silence expressions of Muslim solidarity.
Hamas calls for the immediate delivery of food and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip, describing it as a fundamental right to halt the humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged coastal sliver.
In 2023, a British pilgrim was arrested for donning a white keffiyeh and a prayer bead in the colors of Palestine.
Apart from Mecca, Saudi officials have purportedly initiated a wider campaign against citizens who express criticism of Israel or show support for Gaza online.
Israeli forces killed at least 63 Palestinians, including 34 aid seekers, in Gaza on Sunday, despite announcing plans to implement what they described as “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid trucks to enter the war-ravaged territory.
Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded six more deaths from malnutrition over the past day, including two children, bringing the total number of starvation deaths to 133.
At least 59,821 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 144,851 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the besieged coastal territory.
