Makkah provided a sense of safety, stability and peace of mind for Iraqi pilgrims after a journey fraught with danger and difficulties.

At this time of strife and conflicts in some Arab and Islamic countries, pilgrims travel to perform Haj in the Kingdom where a sense of safety and tranquility makes up for what they may not be familiar with in their own countries.

In this regard, some pilgrims of different nationalities spoke about their experiences and the sense of security and faith they felt in the land of the holy places.

Rahmatullah Mohammed Haj, a Rohingya from Myammar, described Makkah as a paradise on earth. He said that the mental images of murder and blood and the memory of the sounds of guns and bullets disappeared completely once he stood before the Kaaba.

Fatimah Ahmad, an Egyptian pilgrim, said that Makkah and Madinah were places of spiritual treatment for the psychological and social pains suffered by some pilgrims. She hopes that the two holy cities will continue to provide a real sense of security.

Mohammed Bakri, a Syrian pilgrim, said: “In the midst of bloody conflicts which have been accompanied by a decline in security, the continuing disruption of peace and stability and unemployment and poverty in our country, the scene in Makkah is completely different. It provides security and stability for all pilgrims.”

Along the same lines, Abu Salman, an Iraqi pilgrim, said: “Once we put our feet on the soil of the Kingdom, we feel the safety and security that we lack in Iraq.” He praised the Saudi leadership for providing such security and safety for its visitors.

Another Iraqi pilgrim said that Makkah provided a sense of safety, stability and peace of mind, after a journey fraught with danger and difficulties. The pilgrim prayed for the end of conflict in Iraq so that its citizens could feel safe in their own country.

Tayyib Muhammad Ali of Kirkuk said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman deserved praise for all services provided to pilgrims which enable them to perform the rituals.

Abu Mazen from Baghdad said: “This is an opportunity for us to escape from the explosions of bombs and cars and the sound of aircraft which has turned our lives into a kind of hell.”