Tunisia first country to prohibit Haj because of swine flu

TUNIS/CAIRO - Tunisians will not be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Muslim pilgrimage or Haj because of fears of the H1N1 virus, known also as swine flu, the government announced Tuesday.

No other country has yet said it would prevent its citizens from making the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in late November for fear they might contract the virus.

Announcing the decision at a brief press conference, Tunisian Minister of Religious Affairs Abu-Bakr al-Akhzouri said the rapid spread of the virus was behind the government’s decision.

“Sermons at this Friday’s prayers and the local media will further clarify the reasons that led to our taking this decision,” al-Akhzouri said.

Al-Akhzouri said that 90 percent of expatriate Tunisians had already postponed their Hajj pilgrimages this year.

Tunisia and Iran barred their citizens from making the Umrah pilgrimage this year because of fears of the virus. But whereas the Umrah pilgrimage is optional, every Muslim who is able must make perform the Hajj once in his lifetime.

Tour companies that organise pilgrimages report that fear of the virus has already led to a sharp drop in the number of people making the pilgrimage this year.

Dubai’s Arabian Business magazine last month estimated the loss to the regional tourism industry at $266 million.

Tunisia has reported 91 cases of the virus, none of them fatal.

Saudi health authorities have have urged those younger than 25 or older than 65 to stay away. Egypt and Iraq have said they will prevent the elderly and those with chronic health conditions from making the trip this year.

Each year, millions of Muslims from around the world perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Even in normal years, many return home sick from contact with bacteria and viruses unfamiliar to their immune systems, combined with the exhausting physical requirements of the pilgrimage.