Sister Mai Sey,
Pilgrims are not usually not asked to leave the hotel or city .
The reason for them to be asked to leave is because the agents who book them in those hotels book only for a maximum number of days that are paid for in their contracts . When the time has expired ,naturally the hotel will extend rheir stay is someone pays for the accomodation especially as food is not as serious a problem as the accomodation is .
The solution is arranging to pay those hotels. They do accept all major credit cards . I perfoemed the Umrah a couple of times and as long as you pay your hotel you can stay. EXception is expired visas and there are thousans and thousands in the mecca area with expired visas I am told . Maybe the government is now cracking down on that .
My biggest concern is will they get their passports back as many hotels hold your passports until you pay cash or by credit card then they relaese the passports.
In the mean time as someone suggested ( maybe Saul) if you have your loved ones the best thing you can do is to send them money there are western Union/ money centers and many banks all over the city. I have seen them . It would be better for them to go to a specific center and let them give you their details (address /tel etc auth codes /locations ) first.
Regardless of what happens the organizers are to blame and should be responsible and reimburse the pilgrims for the extra expenses they incurred
Wasalaam
Habib
>From: Mai Sey <
[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <
[log in to unmask]>
>To:
[log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: The Plight of the Hajj 2003 Pilgrims
>Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 19:27:10 +0100
>
>Hi Ebrima,
> This is very sad indeed. Not only are these pilgrims stranded
>in Mecca but one must also have at the back of your mind that they are
>finding it very tough out there. From previous years,I have been made to
>learn that, as soon as the hajj is over, they are asked out of their hotels
>and even out of the city. So whether their flights are around and ready or
>not, they stay at the airport struggling for food and even sleep .Most of
>them usually run out of cash and to send money for them is just impossible.
>I really feel it for them and their families. Let's just pray for their safe
>return home.
>
>Maikabir.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ebrima Ceesay" <
[log in to unmask]>
>To: <
[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 4:38 PM
>Subject: Re: The Plight of the Hajj 2003 Pilgrims
>
>
> > Readers:
> >
> > The unedited e-mail below came from a source in The Gambia.
> >
> > Ebrima
> >
> > _____________________________________________________________________
> >
> > >To:
[log in to unmask]
> > >Subject: The Plight of the Hajj 2003 Pilgrims
> > >Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003
> > >
> > >Hi Coach,
> > >
> > >I have just read the piece by Saul Khan regarding the plight of this
>year's
> > >pilgrims, as was the case of the three previous years.
> > >We, on the ground commend, Saul Khan for his efforts in finding out about
> > >the real problems facing the pilgrims who are now stranded in Saudi
>Arabia
> > >with very little hope of getting back home anytime soon. Thus far, only
> > >two flights have returned and the nightmarish stories that these
> > >unfortunate pilgrims tell are unbelieveable. Thanks to Yahya Jammeh.
>But
> > >we must take part of the blame as the sponsors of these prigrims.
> > >
> > >I had warned last year and even early on this year, that we should
>refrain
> > >from sending our loved ones through these Jammeh criminal syndicate made
>up
> > >of Baba Jobe, Amadou Samba, Tarik Musa, Yankuba Touray and Famara Jatta.
> > >Of course with Yahya Jammeh presiding over the Gang of Six. They are
> > >responsibible for the plight of the majority of this year's pilgrims (two
> > >out of five flights) still stranded in Saudi Arabia without a single
>penny
> > >to their name and no one to take responsibility for their plight. That's
> > >how irresponsible Jammeh and his Government are.
> > >
> > >We join Saul Khan in appealing to all, especially Diasporans who have
> > >relatives, friends and acquiantants in the unfortunate majority still
> > >stranded in Saudi Arabia to make every effort to repatriate them before
>the
> > >start of a war on Iraq which seems inevitable at this stage.
> > >
> > >Meanwhile, let us assure all that these atrocities, yes atrocities,
> > >committeed by the Gang of Six are carefully being documented for the day
> > >when they will be called upon to answer to them. Jammeh and his Crimical
> > >syndicate MUST and WILL GO.
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Chat online in real time with MSN Messenger http://messenger.msn.co.uk
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to:
>http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
> > To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
> >
[log in to unmask]
> >
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface
> > at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
>
[log in to unmask]
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~