A meeting of Arab health ministers took place in Egypt last week. Recommendations adopted there may place restrictions on who may make hajj this year. It is not certain yet which countries will place the recommendations into effect. In an effort to disrupt the spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus, Muslims with chronic illnesses, under 12 or over 65 may be banned from hajj.
Authorities in Egypt, India and Pakistan have said that bureaucratic problems arising from efforts to enforce the ban while simultaneously fulfilling alloted hajj quotas would present many difficulties for their respective countries. Over 20% of hajj applicants in each these countries is over 65 years old.
Posted by Umm Umar 
