REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Saudi Arabian authorities have since July 18 detained 11 minor Hajj (Umroh) pilgrims from Indonesia, stated Sulais Taufik, a relative of the several ill-fated pilgrims.
"They are arrested by the Saudi authorities after performing the Idul Fitri prayer on July 18 at the Masjidil Haram Grand Mosque complex in Mecca as they were wearing black 'gamis'," he informed Antara here on Tuesday.
According to Taufik, the secretary general of the Association of Light Youth Syahid (Himpass), the information about the arrest was provided by Zubir Amir Abdullah who led the pilgrims to perform the Idul Fitri prayer.
As in Indonesia, almost all Muslims in Saudi Arabia performed the Idul Fitri prayer on July 17.
Quoting Abdullah, the arrest had nothing to do with the prayer service but with the "black gamis" (long shirt like dress) that they had worn, he explained.
"They all wore 'black gamis.' The shirts they wore had drawn the attention of the other people to watch them perform the prayer. Thereafter, the Saudi authorities came and arrested them," he noted.
The detainees comprise Zubir Amir Abdullah, whose passport number is A.1252884; Ismelda Harfianti Lubis (A 4401994); Kharmain Amir Abdullah (A 5614869); and Rahmat Abdullah Makki Almalik (A.4691493).
The other detainees are Rakhmat Syawal Lubis (A 1252526); Rudi Aulia Usman Arif (A 3157713); Muhammad Zainullah Wahid (A 4157608); and Muhammad idris Ruslan (A.7227345). They are all from Medan, North Sumatra, he revealed.
"Three others are identified as Muhammad Harianto Lubis, Joko Handoko Marore, and Jamsah Binti Jamin. I do not know where they are from and their passport numbers," Taufik affirmed.
In a bid to get them released, Taufik said he had reported about the arrest to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry in Jakarta.
"I hope the Foreign Ministry is able to locate their whereabouts and help bring them all home," he remarked.
Abdullah and seven other minor Hajj pilgrims left the Kuala Namu International Airport in North Sumatra Province for Saudi Arabia via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 4, 2015.
"They were expected to return to Medan before August 2, 2015. Their families do hope that the Indonesian government can bring them all home safely," he added.
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