As expected this story doesn’t concern Quakers, Methodists, Jews or Hindus, it concerns, yes you guessed it, Bearded Savages. A visa cock-up that stopped a group of Muslims from going on the Haj pilgrimage was turned into that most typical of Islamic customs, threatening behaviour coupled with a big ruck.
The Manchester Evening News reports that:
“Furious customers smashed a travel agent’s window and mobbed his home after a visa blow forced him to cancel their once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Almost 200 Muslim pilgrims who planned to travel to Mecca had their plans wrecked when the vital visas failed to arrive at the Ashton shop from a London company.
Despite travel agent Babar Hussain explaining it was out of his hands and vowing to pay back the money, he came under attack from livid customers.
The window of his shop was smashed. And a group of angry customers turned up at his house and the home of his brother demanding to speak to them, forcing Mr Hussain to call police.
Many had saved up for years for Hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage to the Saudi Arabian city which takes place between October 13-18.
The trip is a religious duty expected of able-bodied Muslims at least one in their lifetime.
But 191 people – including 114 from Manchester – were forced to cancel their trip after the visas – usually issued by the Saudi embassy – failed to arrive at Ashton Travel from an outside agency.
Mr Hussain, 49, said: “Our customers are so angry with us and we understand, they have saved up for this special spiritual pilgrimage. We are deeply sorry but we are suffering, we have been threatened at work and in our homes.
“We ask that the public support us while we get this money back, we promise our customers will get their money.
“We are part of this community and our families live here. We are ashamed of what has happened, this is a matter of our spirituality but we were only told at the last minute the visas had not arrived.”
What was that we keep getting told about ‘the religion of peace’?
Link
Original story in the Manchester Evening News
Addendum
It seems that the Hajj pilgrimage is a time when violence is not unknown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_during_the_Hajj
Hat Tip Religion of Peace
