Yemeni man arrested for dedicating pilgrimage to Queen Elizabeth
Saudi authorities said the Yemeni man seen in a video dedicating his umrah to the English queen was arrested simply for bringing a banner to a holy site.
A citizen of Yemen has been arrested after dedicating his umrah pilgrimage to England's recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II.
What happened: Yesterday, a video surfaced of a man at the Islamic holy site the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, holding a banner reading that his pilgrimage is dedicated to “the soul of Queen Elizabeth.” It also said “May Allah grant her a place in heaven.” The video was widely viewed on social media.
Later that day, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Public Security announced that it had arrested a citizen of Yemen for holding a banner inside the Masjid al-Haram. Doing this violates the rules of umrah, the directorate said in a tweet.
Why it matters: The incident stirred significant controversy on Arabic social and online media. Many Twitter users praised the arrest, with some saying it is forbidden to dedicate the pilgrimage to the queen because she was Christian.
