There is no denying that a lot has changed over the years, including many of the religious practices. In fact, one such major change took place recently. What am I going on about? Well, in a recent development, women who were earlier not allowed to perform Haj or Umrah without a male companion in Mecca, will now be able to do so. Yes, a former advisor to the minister of Saudi Arabia said that women now no longer need to be accompanied by men to perform their religious rites – Haj or Umrah in Mecca.
The former advisor of Saudi Arabia’s minister said that the government observed that women face a lot of issues in life and so refraining from performing their religious rites – Haj or Umrah – without a male companion is unfair and so they now don’t need to come to Mecca with a Mahram for performing their religious rites.
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As per reports, Ahmed Saleh Halabi, Haj and Umrah Services Adviser, said to a leading daily, “It is now acceptable for a woman to perform Haj or Umrah without a mahram, accompanied by “trustworthy women or security company perform Haj or Umrah”.
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Ibrahim Hussein, the former adviser to the minister of Saudi Arabia, added, “Allowing women to perform Umrah without the company of a male relative simplifies their lives. They already face several hurdles and live in tough socioeconomic situations. This may make it harder to find a mahram or make Umrah more expensive while they are keen to perform Umrah”
To ensure that women can perform the Haj or Umrah in Mecca smoothly and safely, the Saudi Arabia government has amplified their security at airports and other public places for their security. The government have also included an anti-harassment framework in their legislation to make their visit easy and smooth.