01/07/2009
Tunisian authorities may suspend the haj pilgrimage to Mecca to prevent the spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus, Ansa reported on Tuesday (June 30th). Tunisian Religious Affairs Minister Boubaker Khzouri is quoted by newspaper Assari as saying that "a fatwa is not necessary". Tunisia also reported its third case of swine flu in a businessman who had returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabian Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah told the press: "Experts recommend that elderly, people with chronic illnesses, children, and pregnant women postpone their plans for haj for their own safety". There are now 81 confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia.