Home World Tunisian President Fires Minister of Religious Affairs Following Hajj Incident
World

Tunisian President Fires Minister of Religious Affairs Following Hajj Incident

342
Tunisian President, Kais Saied.

Tunisian President Kais Saied fired the Minister of Religious Affairs, Ibrahim Chaibi, following the deaths of 49 Tunisian pilgrims during this year’s hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The decision was announced in a statement from the presidency on Friday, posted on Facebook, without further explanation.

The Tunisian foreign ministry initially reported 35 deaths on Tuesday, but the number has since risen to 49, according to local media.

The ministry did not specify if the deaths were related to the high temperatures, a significant issue during the pilgrimage.

Most of the deceased had travelled on tourist visas, not through the official hajj programme, which meant they were not liable to receive the same support and services as those who go through the official hajj programme.

Saudi Arabia allocates hajj permits to countries through a quota system, and these permits are often distributed via a lottery. Due to the high cost of official routes, many pilgrims choose the less expensive, irregular routes, especially since Saudi Arabia began issuing general tourist visas in 2019.

According to an AFP report, the death toll recorded in this year’s hajj was over 1000, with more than half from Egypt. Also, more than half of the deceased were unregistered pilgrims.

Read More: Egypt Suspends 16 Tourism Companies Following Hajj Pilgrim Deaths

Nollywood Biopic “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti” Concludes Successful Cinema Run, Premieres on Prime Video

About The Author

Related Articles

Chief Justice Gertrude Suspended
NewsWorld

Ghana’s President Mahama Suspends Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo Over Misconduct

Ghana’s President, John Mahama, has suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo following some...

EventsWorld

GWR: Tunde Onakoya Crowned New World Record Holder For Longest Chess Marathon

Nigerian chess player Tunde Onakoya has officially been recognised by Guinness World...

NewsWorld

Ghana’s President Mahama Invites Sahel States to ECOWAS 50th Anniversary Despite Withdrawal From the Bloc 

Ghana has extended official invitations to the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali,...

Human RightsNewsWorld

Outrage as Another Convicted Child Rapist Gains Entry into Nigeria

Frank Joseph Avbel, a convicted child sex offender from Washington State, USA,...