To be buried in Al-Baqi cemetery

Kurdish pilgrim dies in Medina during Umrah

NEWSROOM — A Kurdish pilgrim passed away in Medina, Saudi Arabia, after his health deteriorated, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate announced Monday.

The directorate identified the pilgrim as Mohammed Abdul Ghafour Yassin, a resident of Zakho Autonomous Administration, Duhok, who had traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.

According to the statement, Yassin, who was over 60 years old and had no known health issues, collapsed during the morning prayer and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities said that with his family’s consent, Yassin would be buried the same day in the Al-Baqi cemetery in Medina.

Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time, distinct from the mandatory Hajj, which has specific dates and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

On Jan. 25, another Kurdish pilgrim from Shekhan district, identified as Hajji Zainal, died in Mecca while performing Umrah. The man, believed to be between 60 and 70 years old, reportedly experienced health complications before his death.

Days later, two Kurdish Umrah pilgrims from Chamchamal, Sulaymaniyah, were killed and 14 others injured in a bus accident near the Saudi-Iraqi border.

Spirituality is the journey, not the destination

Spirituality is the journey, not the destination

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