More than one million Muslim pilgrims have visited Mecca this week to perform the sacred rites of Hajj, an obligation on each believer of Islam.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of the faith, is the lifelong dream of many who hope to complete the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
This year, however, the event has been marked by controversy over Gaza, with some calls echoed on social media, calling for the event to be boycotted over Saudi Arabia’s talks to normalise relations with Israel, talks which have been suspended since October 2023.
Saudi Arabia has never formally recognised the state of Israel, and leaders including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and former intel chief Turki Al-Faisal, have emphasised that formal ties would only be considered if there were a Gaza ceasefire and if a Palestinian state were to be recognized with East Jerusalem as capital.
Its role in diplomacy is complex and shifting, as it tries to create new alliances, including with Israel, while maintaining regional credibility with, for example, Kuwait, which is strongly opposed to normalising relations with Israel and maintains a hardline pro‑Palestinian stance.
Last month, Israel blocked a Saudi-led delegation from meeting officials within the Palestine Authority, with Saudi’s foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, calling it proof of its “extremism” and “arrogance”, according to the Times of Israel.
The Grand Mosque has tried to keep politics out of the religious pilgrimages such as the Hajj, by prohibiting political demonstrations, chants, signs, or speeches.
Many visitors performing the smaller pilgrimage, Umrah, over the past year have reported having Palestine flags confiscated, and other symbols of solidarity removed.
Last year, one video, reported by Haaretz, went viral after a woman raising a Palestine flag at the Grand Mosque had it confiscated. The Imam of the Mosque said the area was not a place for politics.
There is a difference of opinion as to what the faith demands of believers, whether that means a boycott of the pilgrimage in solidarity with other Muslims experiencing human rights abuses, or whether it means to complete the pilgrimage to the holy site, separated from the actions of the Saudi government.
The call for Muslims to boycott Saudi Arabia and the Hajj shows that for many, human rights supersede their religious obligations, and not just over Palestine. Some have called for a boycott for Saudi’s role in Yemen, where thousands have been left in food insecurity and hunger.
“As a Muslim, I strongly support a mass boycott of Hajj,” says Dr Raeesa Ahmed, 35, a medical doctor and mother of one. “Although this has been deemed a controversial opinion, it should not be. Islam teaches us there is nothing more valuable than human life.”
She refers to Saudi’s often contradictory engagement with the United Arab Emirates and Israel, referring to the comments of Dr Bilal Ware, a writer, academic and US Green Party vice-presidential candidate, who called Saudi “Israel in a thobe” (a robe).
“Without the implicit support of Saudi and UAE, Israel would not be able to continue its genocide against the Palestinian people”.
But others do not see the connection, saying that the religious duty to complete Hajj is incumbent upon every Muslim, and that “politics” should not intervene in this.
Not all those with this view are willing to be identified for fear of negative reaction within their communities.
‘Hera’, a student, told the RMC: “If people get the opportunity to go to Hajj, that opportunity is given to them by Allah. People should be allowed to go, because it’s mentioned in the Quran and I’m sure lots of Islamic scholars agree too. It’s such a good deed. It shouldn’t be boycotted. If we start doing this, where does it end? Where is the line?”
She added: “I get the logic behind it, that going will support Saudi. But there are many other things that we need to boycott including brands and other institutions that are supporting Israel. You’re doing Hajj for God, you’re not doing it to support Israel.”
Despite the calls from many corners to boycott the pilgrimage, and some strong resistance, others think the entire protest is somewhat futile
“I’m quite surprised but I can also understand why,” says a 24-year-old British journalist, named as ‘Ayesha’. “Saudi Arabia is probably the most powerful Muslim nation and they’ve stayed quiet during this genocide, there’ve been reports of Palestine symbols being banned and they are involved in multiple wars including the war in Sudan.”
Israel vehemently denies it is committing a genocide.
‘Ayesha’ continues: “In recent years, going to Hajj and Umrah has become ridiculously expensive because it’s become a money-making scheme to benefit an already affluent nation. Also, based on my experience there, I’ve witnessed horrible racism and sexism, which ruined my experience and made me want to never go back. I can completely understand why people are boycotting Hajj, the Saudi government doesn’t deserve a penny of anyone’s money.”
But she adds: “The people boycotting Hajj will be a very small minority and millions of people will still go and, sadly, it won’t make a difference. For this reason, Muslims shouldn’t jeopardise their deen [religion] because if you have the means to go and fulfil one of the five pillars of Islam you should do it and if you want to help Palestinians, there are other ways of doing it, for example boycotting Israeli companies, raising awareness, giving to charity etc.”
But that is not convincing enough for Dr Ahmed. “Many Muslims try to argue that this [Gaza, Yemen and Sudan] is a separate issue and should not affect the obligation of Muslims to go on Hajj if they are able to,” she explains. “A boycott of Hajj is not just a moral argument, it constitutes a method by which Muslims can help Palestinians through boycott, sanctions and divestment.
“The true purpose of Hajj has been diluted and colonised in a capitalist world. Instead of working on purifying one’s soul and connection with Allah, it has become a status symbol for the wealthy, an opportunity to boast about.”
Another speaker, a British Muslim named Sabreen, who works in marketing, has been boycotting Saudi Arabia since before Israel’s latest military action in the Gaza strip and West Bank.
“As a global community, the most effective way to protest against this is a boycott. Even if a wider movement does not take off and it makes no economic impact, I feel better knowing I’m not funding their corruption,” says Sabreen, who has been boycotting Saudi Arabia for years.
“We need to move away from seeing Hajj and Umrah as a form of tourism rather than pilgrimage, where people go multiple times just because they can.”
She understands that the pilgrimage is a special moment for some, with some nationalities such as Jordan waiting for a lottery-style system to complete the action. “I don’t judge people who are going on Hajj, because in an ideal world, they should be able to fulfil their own spiritual goals, despite government actions,” she says. “There are many who have saved up their entire lives to be able to go on Hajj, and I don’t doubt their intentions at all.”
Yet, she says, the issue has shed light on a deeper rift within the Muslim community. Some sections of the community believe protests, boycotts, voting, and political involvement mark a deviation from the faith, with everything in the hands of Allah. Others believe that the religion mandates political action and a call for justice.
“I believe we need to think more critically as Muslims and not be so afraid of holding the Saudi government accountable as the de facto stewards of our holy sites. The government and royal family are not owed our loyalty, and have nothing to do with our religious heritage,” she says, and it is important to separate the royals from the religion.
“It’s a difficult conversation to have with other Muslims, especially those of older generations, because it seems like we don’t care about fulfilling our religious obligations. That’s not the case though — it’s just that we see activism and advocating for human rights as part of our religious obligations.
“I do see it changing though. A couple of older family members who once loved going on Umrah, and didn’t understand why I was boycotting, now agree with the idea. But there are still a lot of people across all generations who don’t see it the same way, and see it as being ‘difficult’.”
