1000 Women Stranded Because They Have No Man

More than 1,000 Nigerian women pilgrims remained stranded at a Saudi airport for a fifth straight day Thursday after being denied entry into the kingdom because they were not accompanied by men or "Mahram", an airport official confirmed. The official said that the Nigerian consulate in Jeddah had offered to ensure the women’s return after the annual hajj pilgrimage, but Saudi immigration officials were “sticking to their position.”

The women had begun arriving at Jeddah airport on Sunday (9/23), a report by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, said. “Upon enquiries by the reception team officials of the National Hajj Commission in the airport, they were told that the pilgrims were held back because of lack of mahram,” said the report.

They are stopping women particularly between the ages of 25 and 35 without a male relative. Those over 45 are not a concern to the Saudi authorities." One woman told the BBC that the situation at Jeddah airport has become pretty uncomfortable as hundreds of women are reportedly sleeping on the floor, have been denied their belongings, and are sharing only four toilets.

Nigerian pilgrims’ welfare boards have in the past acted as “mahrams” and visas had been granted on that basis. The report said that officials observed that flights which arrived at Medina airport and that “only Nigerian pilgrims” were affected by the policy.

Last year, nearly three million Muslim pilgrims performed the hajj, which must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all Muslims who are able to do so. Roughly half of Nigeria’s 160 million people are Muslim.

This is ridiculous. So a woman needs a man to accompany her so she can worship God? It was man who made up the rule of the pilgrimage, and now men are trying to tell women HOW to have one? I'm not religious and I'm a firm believer in "to each his own,' but this is just insane. If a woman made the decision AND the long trip as an offering to her God and/or Its tenets, shouldn't that be enough? Should having a penis nearby also be a requirement? Men are so afraid of womens' power. These "mahram" laws make it proof positive..