Egyptian trio convicted for forging Hajj visas
A BRITISH Muslim group has welcomed the conviction of three Egyptian men who were sentenced for forging Hajj visas.
The Association of British Hujjaj (ABH), a charity based in Birmingham, said the conviction was a warning to other dishonest tour operators who target innocent Muslims during the Hajj season.
The men were sentenced to three years last month for selling forged Hajj visas to a group of citizens who were then detained.
ABH have worked extensively in the past to push authorities to do more to crackdown on dishonest tour operators.
A spokesperson for ABH said: “Every year a substantial number of prospective Hajj & Umrah Pilgrims suffer extreme hardship, difficulty, mental anguish and financial exploitations at the hands of unscrupulous and rogue Hajj tour and travel operators, throughout the world.
“The situation has worsened significantly in the last few years, therefore we strongly urge all the concerned governments and specifically the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to crack down on those who are responsible for the growing culture of immoral and illegal practices in Hajj/Umrah travel and tour industry.
”It is extremely vital not to ignore the plight of pilgrims and to set up permanent arrangements to help and protect them by eliminating the malpractice and fraudulent activities of unscrupulous travel and tour operators in order to let pilgrims perform Hajj & Umrah in peace and harmony.”
