AhlulBayt News Agency: Police in Saudi Arabia have detained a female Palestinian pilgrim for displaying the flag of Palestine in the holy city of Mecca, accusing her of issuing political statements, a report says.
The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed yet, was detained by Saudi police at the Great Mosque of Mecca – known as Masjid al-Haram - in Mecca for having Palestinian flag on her bag, MintPress News reported on Monday.
The report, citing the woman, added that Saudi police told her that carrying the Palestinian flag in that place was tantamount to making “political statements.”
The woman, in protest, explained that “others were displaying the flags of countries like Morocco and Turkey, arguing that she is Palestinian ... therefore the flag simply represents her nationality.”
This is not the first time that Saudi police has detained people on the same ground. Back in February last year, Saudi authorities arrested a female pilgrim in the Great Mosque of Mecca for displaying the Palestinian flag while circling the holy Kaaba.
In November 2023, it was also reported that two individuals, an Algerian and a Turkish sheikh, were also detained by Saudi police after they reportedly publicly prayed for Gaza and Palestine during their pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Such incidents are regarded as part of a broader pattern of suppressing expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian cause by the Arab kingdom, which accuses the individuals of politicizing religious rituals. This is while activists across the globe criticize such perceived anti-Palestine measures, noting similar actions against pilgrims wearing Palestinian symbols or praying for the besieged Gaza Strip.
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