Iran bans Ramadan pilgrimage due to swine flu fears

Each year, over half a million Iranians make the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for the holy month of Ramadan. However, swine flu fears have made the Iranian government impose a ban on pilgrimages to stop the pandemic spreading amongst its citizens.

Iranian Health Minister Kamaran Baghri Lankarani said in a statement that the ban had been imposed to prevent possible outbreaks of the disease amongst Iranian pilgrims.

Thus far, Iran has over 145 registered cases of swine flu, many of them coming from citizens visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

To prevent the rise in cases, the Saudi government has implemented a scheme for all pilgrims to provide a health certificate that states that they have received a flu shot and they are free of the chronic disease.

It has also banned all pilgrims over 65 years old and children under the age of 12.

The Saudi health minister said in a statement to the Associated Press that, "These conditions came after consultations with top international experts in the field. No one will be able to get a visa without fulfilling these new rules."

There has been much discussion in the Middle East about how to prevent the spread of swine flu during the hajj and omra pilgrimages to Islam's holiest sites located in Saudi Arabia. The hajj pilgrimage is required of all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives, while omra is a voluntary, lesser pilgrimage that can be completed at any other time of the year.

Al-Merghalani said the new restrictions will apply to the hajj, which this year takes place in late November, and to omra, which can see up to three million visitors during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which begins at the end of August.

Like this article? Get the RSS feed: