Miqati Bars Pilgrims from Traveling by Land to Holy Sites Outside of Lebanon
Prime Minister Najib Miqati issued a decree on Monday temporarily forbidding pilgrims from traveling by land to holy sites outside of Lebanon.
The decision was made at the behest of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council and the head of the Hajj and Omra affairs authority.
Travel agencies and the Hajj and Omra affairs authority will now have to take the suitable measures to accommodate the decree, added Miqati’s office in a statement on Monday.
The decision was taken in light of the kidnapping of 11 Lebanese pilgrims on Tuesday as they were returning to Lebanon from a pilgrimage to Iran.
The pilgrims were abducted from their bus in the Syrian town of Aleppo.
In light of the development, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had advised in a speech on Friday pilgrims against heading to their pilgrimage destination by land.
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