Help Non-Muslims From The US Enter Mecca Illegally Then To Mount Arafah, Saudi Arabian Arrested And Faced With Public Prosecutors

Illustration of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (Wikimedia Commons/Adeeb Atwan)

JAKARTA - A Saudi Arabian national was arrested and has been referred to the Public Prosecutor, for facilitating the entry of non-Muslim journalists into Mecca, violating the country's law that prohibits non-Muslims from entering the city, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.

“Mecca district police have referred a citizen to the Prosecutor, who was involved in transferring and facilitating the entry of a (non-Muslim) journalist (who) holds United States citizenship into the holy city of Mecca, by passing through a road dedicated to Muslims only in explicit violation of the law. the law prohibits entry to Mecca for non-Muslims," said the SPA statement, quoted by Arab News 22 July.

"Therefore, he was arrested, and legal action was taken against him," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Makkah Police warned that foreigners coming to Saudi Arabia must respect and comply with the country's laws, especially those relating to the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

Anyone violating the entry ban on non-Muslims will not be tolerated and the culprits will be punished, the spokesman added.

It is understood that the journalist who committed the crime has also been referred to the Public Prosecutor and the necessary procedures will be carried out, the SPA statement said. France-based AFP news agency previously reported that journalist Gil Tamary, who works for Israel's Channel 13, had posted a video of himself on Twitter sneaking into Mecca.

In the video, Tamary is seen climbing Mount Arafat, a holy site where Muslims gather during the Hajj, and talks about how she has always wanted to visit Mecca.

After the video came under widespread criticism online, the journalist apologized in a tweet and said he did not mean to offend Muslims, but wanted to "show the importance of Mecca and the beauty of religion."