Halt of Muslim pilgrimage over virus brings worldwide dismay

Muslim pilgrims wear masks at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca on February 27, 2020. – Saudi Arabia suspended visas for visits to Islam’s holiest sites for the “umrah” pilgrimage, an unprecedented move triggered by coronavirus fears that raises questions over the annual hajj. The kingdom, which hosts millions of pilgrims every year in the cities of Mecca and Medina, also suspended visas for tourists from countries with reported infections as fears of a pandemic deepen. (Photo by Abdulgani BASHEER / AFP) (Photo by ABDULGANI BASHEER/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Associated Press

Posted: Feb 27, 2020 / 11:12 AM EST

Updated: Feb 27, 2020 / 11:12 AM EST

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s suspension of the umrah pilgrimage over the global virus outbreak could eventually force millions of Muslims around the world to postpone or cancel their journey.

Many have eagerly awaited the trip for years.

The suspension could also potentially affect the much larger annual hajj pilgrimage, set to begin in late July.

For the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, it closes one of the last avenues for leaving the narrow coastal strip, which has been ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt since 2007.

In Egypt, thousands of angry passengers scuffled with police at Cairo International Airport. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, summoned the Saudi ambassador to request an exemption.