Saudi Arabia seizes properties of Nig. Hajj Pilgrims

[NewEte]

The government of Saudi Arabia recently showed disdain for Nigerian Muslims by refusing to allow them carry goods purchased in Mecca to Nigeria. These hajj pilgrims whose good were confiscated obviously took time off from their purpose of being in Mecca in the first place and went on shopping sprees. It is reported that items such as laptops and other electronic goods were seized by the Saudi government. It is bad enough that these hajj exercises are funded with tax payer money, the Saudis do not seem to care much about Nigerian presence in their country.
The Sultan of Sokoto who leads the Nigerian Hajj contingent could not even compel his fellow 'brothers' in Saudi Arabia to desist from un-necessary discrimination and maltreatment of Nigerian pilgrims. We are always under the impression that Islam is about brotherhood and respect for other muslims. Saudi Arabia has shown repeatedly to Nigerians especially, that this isn't so.
So here is the point, if they continually treat our muslims with such disdain, why does the government keep funding these expeditions? We spend our hard earned dollars yearly which goes to the coffers of the Saudi government. The accomodation for the Nigerian pilgrims is not even great, and when they manage to purchase some small souvenir (or not so small ones) the Saudi's prevent them from taking any out of the Kingdom.

I would like to see Nigerian Muslim stage a serious protest by withdrawing totally from future participation in this exercise. People should just observe religious events at home in Nigeria rather than embark on these trips on to be insulted in the holy land. Imagine being discriminated against in the holy land of all places. The way it is, Saudi Arabia makes huge supplemental revenue from these yearly hajj event. Imagine the billions of dollars they make each year from pilgrims visiting Mecca. This is why the rulers of the Kingdom live a larger than life lifestyle. That affluent lifestyle is supported by the billion dollar revenue collected from hajj pilgrims, and yet most of the African nations imcluding Nigerian that make it do or die affair to attend are all impoverished.

Nigerian Muslims should boycott the hajj. There is nothing in it for them. Let's spend our money on more rewarding ventures for us. Down with discriminatory treatment of Nigerians, down with the Saudis.

[HUSNAA]

I am absolutely aghast speechless and dumbfounded Ete!! I mean I dont know, I just dont know how to react to this post.  I am not quite sure to whom you are being sincere in your empathic attitude towards Nigerian Muslims.  Muslims in general or just Nigerians? Or just trying to vent yr spleen against the Saudi govt? I mean the Ete I knew practically detested anything to do with Islam. That is why I am feeling diffident about accepting this at its face value.

To start off with, I see yr point about the Saudi govt. I really dont care much for Saudi Arabians in general. One on one is great, cos I have quite a few Arab friends  genuine ones at that, but in general, they are just as racist as any rednecked Midwestern North American.

I also think it is quite discriminatory of the Saudi authorities to confiscate ppl's goods. They had no right. To my way of thinking it is their own spinoff from what is happening in some Western airports where one has to declare all portable hand luggage by carrying them in  see through plastic bags/cases. The Saudians know very well that they are not under the threat of any terrorist activities from sidelined nations such as ours. So this is just a bully tactic. They can get away with it as well because we have the most useless set of diplomats in Riyadh as they do little to protect the rights of fellow Nigerians there.

On the other hand, Nigerians are also to blame for a lot of what happens to them over there. Most have sold their dignity for a pittance and are therefore treated like scum. At the same time, the Nigerian Hajj organizers are some of the worst culprits. Like you rightly pointed out, the accomodation of the pilgrims during Hajj is nothing to write home about. Every yr, thousands of pilgrims fork out their hard earned savings and deposit it with the pilgrim's board. They are charged the standard fare for decent accomodations and livelihood whilst over there, but what they get in return is a lot less than they paid for. Some of the welfare staff (like nurses doctors guides etc) who fly gratis for the hajj, are never anywhere to be seen when they land in the holy land. They take off to nether regions and leave their charges to fend for themselves. All to the bad surely.

What I'd like to point out to you is that, little of the tax payer's money is involved when it comes to hajj transactions. 90% of Nigerian muslims pay for themselves to attend  the pilgrimage. If any taxpay is involved to perform hajj, it is usually used by incumbent authorities starting from the ward councillor directly to the president's office and not the common man. Take note of that Ete.   
Now yr solution to this is what boggles the mind (of muslims at least) and will probably bring a smirk to the face of any christian with some knowledge of Islamic laws and principles. It just totally, totally shows how ignorant u are about Islam. I am inclined to think that the only thing you know about Islam are the words Islam and Muslim and not much else.

The pilgrimage is the last of the five pillars (or supporting columns) of Islam. Not performing the rites of the hajj when one has the ability to do so is the same as not completing the  religious duties incumbent upon the person. It is  OBLIGATORY to go for Hajj.
You know Christians believe that the blood of Jesus on the cross was esssentially what cleansed them of their primal sins. Performing the Hajj cleanses the muslim of his sins as effectively as if he were a new born babe (what the christians would call born again) I guess then that every muslim pilgrim who successfully fulfils that duty is a born again in that sense. So it is a 'do or die affair' with many muslims, since for as many times as one completes a successful hajj, one is reborn anew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (becomes sinless). Then why not make the effort, after all, none can ever attain the saintly status of sinlessness in this world.
Another thing, Hajj rites can only be performed at Makka and no where else in this world. So there goes yr ....er.... solution down the drain.
For a muslim, there are few ventures more rewarding than doing the pilgrimage, and believe me those few that are more rewarding are also religious obligations. No worldly reward is worth not doing one's duty towards one's Creator. Thus there will always be a polarity where you (Ete) and muslim ideals and lifestyle are concerned.
Muslims will never boycott Hajj or Saudi Arabia in despite of everything. Lets earn our dignity and self respect back and let us have good caring leaders who stand up for the rights (and also wrongs) of their expatriate citizens anywhere in the world and see if the Saudis, will not change their tune and answer to our beck and call.

[alkanawi]

People should just observe religious events at home in Nigeria rather than embark on these trips on to be insulted in the holy land. Imagine being discriminated against in the holy land of all places

Can you imagine? if you see what our xtian sisters in Italy go through just to spread a little "love" in the vatican and around, or how those Israelis harass our xtian brethrens.They think that every christian from nigeria wants to defect to a better life.I think they are not aware that it has been authoritatively established that Nigerians are the happiest people on earth as well as the most religious around this universe.
Because a couple of chaps are into armed robbery and some wayward girls are into prostitution does not mean we are all like that.
The only little problem i foresee is that our home grown religions and shrines, as in Okija et.al, require some human sacrifice and "godfathers" before you are inducted.

  Let's spend our money on more rewarding ventures for us"

One big serving of dog peppersoup jare

[alkanawi]

Husna
Haba hajiya How could you fell for that? He is just being cheeky. Its all tongue-in-cheek.Kar ki bata lokacin ki

[NewEte]

Husnna, I wonder why you cannot simply read my commentary without applying apprehensive motives to it. Even though I write expressing sympathy for our muslim brothers and sisters in saudi Arabia, you question my honest disapproval of their maltreatment in the hands of the Saudi Authorities. That's a shame.
The other thing that bothers me, and that other character "alkani"  is guilty of this as well, is the fact that you people have habit of digressing in a discuss and joining irrelevant and unrelated issues to the discourse. For example, i am talking about hajj mistreatment, and both of you in your responses readily drag Caucasian American relationship with non whites as well as the plight of Christians in Israel/Italy in the discussion. The issue here is the Hajj and the treatment of Muslims. Did you two not see the subject matter of this discuss?

I wrote this darn piece as a concerned Nigerian and not as a religious person. So Husnna, you taking about Christian belief system and relating that to Muslims obligatory participation in the Hajj is totally irrelevant to me. Try discussing your points on its own merit, and this way, I'll make sense of it. On the other hand, if you all want to discuss other unrelated issues, start a new thread, and that would be great.

Personally, I don't think Christians need to go anywhere for any darn pilgrimage. I believe God is universal and can be worshipped anywhere, place and time. So if others go to a foreign land to find God, and the authorities in those lands subject them to demeaning treatment, they have a choice never to go back there, and I am sure God would understand. If however, they keep going back and the same treatment is meted out to them each year, then they deserve little sympathy.

Also contrary to alkani's belief, most African religion do not involve human sacrifice. Even if they did, we can reform it and keep it alive rather than adopt other people's religion and go nuts over it. Why don't the Arabs come and learn about our native religions and embark on pilgrimages to Ile Ife, or worship at the staff of Orunmila? Didn't we have these traditions before other religions came along to the shores of West Africa in the late 18th century?

Anyway, I am hoping that sooner or later, the eyes of many Africans will begin to open so they can realize that they been played for so long by other foreigners.

[alkanawi]

Thesis:

Personally, I don't think Christians need to go anywhere for any darn pilgrimage. I believe God is universal and can be worshipped anywhere, place and time.

Antithesis:

Why don't the Arabs come and learn about our native religions and embark on pilgrimages to Ile Ife, or worship at the staff of Orunmila?

Synthesis:
CONFUSION

[HUSNAA]

Husnna, I wonder why you cannot simply read my commentary without applying apprehensive motives to it. Even though I write expressing sympathy for our muslim brothers and sisters in saudi Arabia, you question my honest disapproval of their maltreatment in the hands of the Saudi Authorities. That's a shame

Ete one judges the present from past actions, and one projects the future from present actions. So knowing yr sentiments with regards to Muslims and Islam in the past, there was no way that I could not attribute some covert unpleasant motives to yr present intentions.

you people have habit of digressing in a discuss and joining irrelevant and unrelated issues to the discourse. For example, i am talking about hajj mistreatment, and both of you in your responses readily drag Caucasian American relationship with non whites as well as the plight of Christians in Israel/Italy in the discussion. The issue here is the Hajj and the treatment of Muslims. Did you two not see the subject matter of this discuss?

When ppl seem to digress from a discussion, it is because there is a bigger picture involved and in order to put it in its proper contextual setting, one has to take into account other issues especially as they serve to get the message or point across. So when I mentioned western airports I was trying to point out the possible genesis of this new insupportable outrage from the hands of the Saudi authorities. Alkanawi was trying to sympathise as well by pointing out that maltreating Nigerian pilgrims is not limited to only Muslims but Christians as well. So he was putting the whole thing in a broader context to include other Nigerians since the sympathy extends not only to one sector of Nigerians but to all types.

I wrote this darn piece as a concerned Nigerian and not as a religious person. So Husnna, you taking about Christian belief system and relating that to Muslims obligatory participation in the Hajj is totally irrelevant to me. Try discussing your points on its own merit, and this way, I'll make sense of it. On the other hand, if you all want to discuss other unrelated issues, start a new thread, and that would be great.

I am surprised at this comment Ete, because I can bet you an arm and a leg that my taking a sentiment of  the christian belief system and comparing it to a similar sentiment of the Islamic beliefs in terms of the obligations imposed on muslims was only irrelevant to YOU.  It will make perfect sense to any body else. Dont wear blinkers when u write posts or read other ppl's own. You have closed up yr mind that is why you think it is irrelevant. Go on; get rid of any subjective sentiments and look at everythin from an objective frame of mind. If I hadnt done that, I wouldnt even be comparing a Christian creed to an Islamic creed. I was  trying to tell you why muslims have to go to Hajj as you did not think it was necessary for us to do so.

Personally, I don't think Christians need to go anywhere for any darn pilgrimage. I believe God is universal and can be worshipped anywhere, place and time. So if others go to a foreign land to find God, and the authorities in those lands subject them to demeaning treatment, they have a choice never to go back there, and I am sure God would understand. If however, they keep going back and the same treatment is meted out to them each year, then they deserve little sympathy.

Me thinks Ete that you are not a christian that is why you talk like that. Well God Is Universal of course. but let me ask you something, between you and God who is more powerful? The answer to that is pretty clear. Well let us say that God Commands you to do something, you dont do it because you dont think it is worth the trouble of being humiliated by yr fellow humans. So you refuse to do the bidding. Isnt God going to be angry with you? Why should you think God will understand? Since you have by yr own admission written that God is universal, then doesnt He know better than you that you will face that humiliation, but He Commanded that you go anyway? Since God Has the Bigger picture then wouldnt it be better to trust in His Judgement and go despite the hardships and difficulties? After all christians believe that God is Love (al iyyazu billah) and all Muslims believe in God as the Beneficient Compassionate and Merciful. So how can a Being Who loves (as the christians believe), Who is Patient, Merciful and Compassionate (as muslims believe) then deliberately cause humiliation and anguish to His devotees especially as they are doing His bidding? Certainly there must be some good in the whole afterwards, which in our limited human capacity we cant begin to fathom.

Let's look at it another way, America is presently acting as a vindictive little god ( bitch is a more appropriate noun) killing left right and centre anyone who refuses to tow the american line (u are either with us or against us). She asks the world for a new order, one half refuses to accede to that order so America lets loose  her wild tech war machines on the hapless dissidents. Now why is America refusing to understand? If God would understand when you disobey Him, why is America not ready to show such magnanimity? Is it because God Does not rain down hail and brimstone for every ungrateful action of mankind, while America brutalizes humanity for every supposed imaginary wrong she thinks that some ppl are doing to her, instilling the fear of poverty or annihilation in her cohorts? And yet you would rather follow the American way than God's way.

Also contrary to alkani's belief, most African religion do not involve human sacrifice. Even if they did, we can reform it and keep it alive rather than adopt other people's religion and go nuts over it. Why don't the Arabs come and learn about our native religions and embark on pilgrimages to Ile Ife, or worship at the staff of Orunmila? Didn't we have these traditions before other religions came along to the shores of West Africa in the late 18th century?

Several points I'd like to bring to yr attention. The religions  (Islam and the original christianity) that we follow at present (or was followed before as in the case of christianity) were divinely inspired. They were instructions from God not manmade paraphernalia. We did not adopt the religions; we were commanded to enter into them by submitting to the Will of God.
There is no question of following animistic African religions. For my part, my ancestors in the 18th Century certainly were never followers of any African cult religion. My ancestors in the 18th century were muslims, so in effect, I never had an heritage that was other than the Islamic religion. I am sure the holds true for the majority of Northern Nigerian muslims of today. Orunmila and Co are  alien to most of us northerners. So there.

The life of a muslim is a fine balance between living in this world and living for the next world. All the rules and mandates for doing so have been laid out minutely to the extent that reformation is quite unnecessary and out of the question 

[lionger]

Ete, I see you are back and rabble-rousing in full force  :D. Welcome back!

Muslims should abandon hajj in protest? Lol you sef ;D. Understand, as Husnaa has tried to make clear in many ways, that the Hajj is one of the 5 pillars of Islam (i think); thus a most central obligation for Muslims - as is praying 5 times a day. Boycotting the Hajj to protest the misbehavior of the Saudi govt is therefore out of the question.

[MySeLf]

Ete i recommend you study islam please, you sound very ignorant about it.
As lionger already said Hajj is one of the 5 pillars of islam, so how dare you calling muslims to boycott it?
Where do you ever hear a muslims calling for christian not go to church or visit Bethlehem? do they go there because they have forgetting God is everywhere?

What ever the saudis do has nothing to do with Hajj.
The nigerians most have over luggages that will not be allowed, and that happened everywhere not just saudi.

GENTLY APPROACH TO WHAT IS CLOSE TO OTHER PEOPLES HEART.

[lionger]

Husnaa

Actually as far as Christians are concerned, Ete was dead right when he said this.

Personally, I don't think Christians need to go anywhere for any darn pilgrimage. I believe God is universal and can be worshipped anywhere, place and time.

Christians are not obligated to go on pilgrimages to Israel or anywhere else. Some do, and while they are certainly not wrong in doing so, it is important to note that there is no command in the New Testament to do likewise. Jesus did away with such physical symbols of worship when he appeared on earth. Let me show you what I mean from the gospel of John, from a conversation Jesus had with a Samaritan (non-jewish) woman.

¹⁹"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
²¹Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The Samaritan woman wanted to know whether Mount Gerazim or the temple in Jerusalem was the place to worship God; a subject the Jews and Samaritans had quarreled over for centuries. In his response Jesus makes two points:

1. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
In other words, the Jews were right to insist that Jerusalem was God's designated place for worship. Before Christianity or Islam came on the scene, God chose Israel and Jerusalem as a symbol of His presence on earth. Thus the temple in Jerusalem was the center of Israel's worship: they made pigrimages there, to hold their feasts at the appointed time. Also, wherever they were, they prayed facing the direction of Jerusalem and the temple; quite similar to some aspects of Muslim worship. Jerusalem was the center of worship until Jesus' time and rightly so.

2. ...a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
Here Jesus says that the question of where to worship God has become irrelevant, and temple buildings and other 'holy places' have lost significance for the Christian. Real worship is not about where you are, or even what you say or when you say it - but about the state of your heart, i.e. spirit. Real worship is what you mean in your heart. As Ete said, we all believe that God is everywhere; he is Spirit and permeates all, especially our innermost being. Thus we must worship him from our innermost being if we are to be true worshippers of God. We must mean what we say in our hearts and back it up by actions. God doesn't want a long babble of words and rituals with no true intent or meaning behind it. When we sing and pray to God, we must mean what we say in our hearts. Can you imagine if your spouse sang you a love song, gave you flowers and made dinner; albeit in a very disinterested and distant manner? How repulsive! So then, true worship, worship in 'spirit and truth', is not about what we say or when we say it, or where we are; it is actually about who we are, deep down inside.

Therefore, it is my firm belief that no place on earth is any more 'holier', any more blessed, than the very place my house sits on. For, through faith in Jesus, God himself lives in me and communes with me in a wonderful way -  thus my very body and person is God's temple and is holy and blessed. This is God's desire for us all, because He is love.

Now concerning the rest of your response to Ete

Let's look at it another way, America is presently acting as a vindictive little god ( bitch is a more appropriate noun) killing left right and centre anyone who refuses to tow the american line (u are either with us or against us). She asks the world for a new order, one half refuses to accede to that order so America lets loose her wild tech war machines on the hapless dissidents. Now why is America refusing to understand? If God would understand when you disobey Him, why is America not ready to show such magnanimity? Is it because God Does not rain down hail and brimstone for every ungrateful action of mankind, while America brutalizes humanity for every supposed imaginary wrong she thinks that some ppl are doing to her, instilling the fear of poverty or annihilation in her cohorts? And yet you would rather follow the American way than God's way.

Well I'm afraid that in this section you gave Ete more ground for his accusation that you habitually bring in irrelevant material into disccusions. I don't think you did so before; but you certainly did so here. I'm having a hard time making head or tail of this post. Are you trying to say that Ete prefers America's totalitarian nature to God's more accomodating approach? ???

[HUSNAA]

Husnaa

Actually as far as Christians are concerned, Ete was dead right when he said this.

Personally, I don't think Christians need to go anywhere for any darn pilgrimage. I believe God is universal and can be worshipped anywhere, place and time.

Christians are not obligated to go on pilgrimages to Israel or anywhere else. Some do, and while they are certainly not wrong in doing so, it is important to note that there is no command in the New Testament to do likewise.

I stand corrected lionger

Now concerning the rest of your response to Ete

Let's look at it another way, America is presently acting as a vindictive little god ( bitch is a more appropriate noun) killing left right and centre anyone who refuses to tow the american line (u are either with us or against us). She asks the world for a new order, one half refuses to accede to that order so America lets loose her wild tech war machines on the hapless dissidents. Now why is America refusing to understand? If God would understand when you disobey Him, why is America not ready to show such magnanimity? Is it because God Does not rain down hail and brimstone for every ungrateful action of mankind, while America brutalizes humanity for every supposed imaginary wrong she thinks that some ppl are doing to her, instilling the fear of poverty or annihilation in her cohorts? And yet you would rather follow the American way than God's way.

Well I'm afraid that in this section you gave Ete more ground for his accusation that you habitually bring in irrelevant material into disccusions. I don't think you did so before; but you certainly did so here. I'm having a hard time making head or tail of this post. Are you trying to say that Ete prefers America's totalitarian nature to God's more accomodating approach? ???

This is not irrelevant. I will explain myself more fully later on. No time now, have to write and submit an abstract before the clock strikes 12 Midnight, otherwise my laptop will turn into a pumpkin and I will miss the deadline. So gotta go

[Dan-Borno]

Listen o ye in the house.  I think you are deviating from the part, the issue here is all about seizure of goods, those this affect all the pilgrims or only those who are engaged in shopping spree?

Precisely speaking we all knew the habits of our Nigerian pilgrimage (i have never performed one) but reliable sources and from what we see at our local Airports, you will come to the conclusion that, it is not a pilgrimage but SHOPPING (especially women (sorry Hajia)).  Imagine an ALHAJ buying a set of cushion chairs, bed sets, room dividers including mattresses in the name of Hajj.

I think the Saudi Government are just trying to discourage the likes of the above type of pilgrims, who instead of concentrating on asking for forgiveness and Allah's bounties, they spend their time in shopping, and at the end of the day, they can not even pay for the excess luggage at the Airport.

As for Ete's advice to boycot hajj, I am sorry, u misunderstood Islam, Hajj as my brothers have earlier mentioned, is a Fard (Obligatory), so long as you are a Muslim and have the means, you must perform it no matter.

So, guys, lets understand and direct each other. 

[HUSNAA]

Listen o ye in the house.  I think you are deviating from the part, the issue here is all about seizure of goods, those this affect all the pilgrims or only those who are engaged in shopping spree?


So, guys, lets understand and direct each other. 

Lol Dan Borno, this goes deeper than that......there is no deviation. We are all right on target.

[gogannaka]

If there was a way Nigerians could boycott the hajj and it would make an impact i would have loved that.The way the Saudi's treat nigerians is very annoying.
As Husna said the Saudi's and infact most Arabs are racists.Imajine during hajj,if a black person mistakenly ploughs a route declared for the arabs they(the arabs) cover their nose in disgust.

Regarding shopping sprees,it has been a tradition dating back to the sahaba's period,infact it is a hajj tradition.Seizing properties of nigerian Hajj pilgrims is so wrong and is something to be condemned strongly.Dan iyayensu su za su biya kudin excess luggage din ne? I even wonder what made them to do such a thing.Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world that enjoys the religious tourism advantage and instead of them to utilise it properly they are painting themselves black.Isnt it an advantage to them if Nigerians or the hajj pilgrims pack the junk out of their country?

Some days ago the minister of Aviation had to warn some foreign airlines on the way and manner they handle their Nigerian passengers.Maybe someone needs to warn the Saudi officials too.

[alkanawi]

Honestly "forumites" we need to take a more critical look at this thread.If you take a closer look you would see that the basis of the whole thread is in the first two lines.A purpoted,unverified and
far-fetched piece of news,followed by paragraph after paragraph of opinions(highly opinionated if i may add) masquerading as patriotic fervour.
I would like to believe that most members listen to the BBC Hausa service or know at least someone who has gone for the pilgrimage.Did we hear of such treatment? And if it is even true that nigerians were particularly singled out for such treatment among all the pilgrims shouldn't we ask ourselves why us?Why not Nigeriens,Camerounians,Ghanians,Malians etc (Last time i checked they are all black Africans).
Any body who travels with the green passport or knows somebody that travels with a nigerian passport would be familiar with what we go through,from China to South Africa,Uk to France,and the mother of them all USA( i remember years back when our own nobel laureate,Wole Soyinka, was subjected to the most in-humane searches in the US),and yet NOBODY has ever called for a travel boycott to these countries sai yanzu dan ana so a muzgunawa addinin mu.
Secondly, all those bloggers calling the Arabs racist might be correct,but we have our own problems too(i think its in the bible about he who is without sin let him cast the first stone, and the hausa say "laifi tudu ne").What is the big difference between racism and tribalism,if you are not a Kanuri you are termed a "kirdi",if you are not Bahaushe you are automatically a "kabila",if you are not a fulani you are known as "kado",and we all know these are pejorative terms."Malos" are almost subhuman,kolanut-chewing,cattle rearing,"alimanjiris".and stark illiterates to boot.
One of the most callous acts in human history was the Rwandan genocide in which according to estimates,over 800,000 people were killed within the space of six months and in the most brutal way imaginable.Its your choice: racism or tribalism,both evil."He is not among us who advocates tribalism"
As for loving to boycott the hajj if it would make an impact, i would refer the person to "sometimes you yearn/love/wish for something and it is sharrun lakum".
And this neocapitalist manner of assessing everything in terms of capital/monetary gain is going to lead us no where. Hajj as tourism,wa iyazu biLLAHI :'(.For some religions pilgrimage is more like sight seeing but certainly in islam it is a religious duty and we better recognise it as that.Our forebears used to trek,sometimes for decades,with all the attendant perils and hardships just to fulfil this obligation and now Allah has eased our suffering to some 6 hours plus some alleged discrimination,and yet we are still complaining.
And for our information the Saudi government spends more than it receives from the hajj excercise,and for the spritually inclined,Ibrahim AS prayed for perpetual wealth for the land.So you go hajj wo you no go hajj wo, ko a jikinsu kai da walakiri kwa yi settling.
Da Allah kuma in ana maganar kirki ku daina sa Fani(you can spell it with a double n and y then u know what comes out from him)Kayode.That guy has virtually insulted everybody in Nigeria and abroad.Anyway he has a history of mental illness,case closed.
Don Allah let us not be drawn into unnecessary bickering among ourselves especially by someone else.Let us resolve our grievances in a matured manner and as an UMMAH that trancends colonial borders.
"May Allah reward us for what we did right,and forgive us where we went wrong"