Pilgrims urged to be cautious while taking photos in Makkah, Madinah

Selfie fever has been increasing with the usage of smartphones. Pilgrims can be seen video recording themselves walking around the Kaaba

Dubai: Taking photos in Islam holy places, once an unthinkable social breach, is now the norm, courtesy smartphones. For many Muslims, the pilgrimage to the two holy mosques in Saudi Arabia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In the past, this was in an individual’s memory. Now, along with the technology revolution coupled with the Kingdom’s high-speed internet service, moments of worship are being recorded and shared instantly.

The selfie fever has been increasing with the usage of smartphones. Pilgrims can be seen video recording themselves walking around the Kaaba, perching close to the mount of Safa or Marwa in Makkah and posing in the background of the green dome of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. However, many taking selfies and recording video during the tawaf, circumambulation of seven times around Kaba in Makkah’s Grand Mosque, is causing obstruction to others performing Umarah. Many scholars and some pilgrims condemn the selfie trend and term it as touristy behaviour.

---

The Saudi authorities have time and again urged pilgrims to not be preoccupied with taking photos but to focus on worship. They also called upon visitors of the holy mosques to respect the sanctity of Islamic shrines and adhere to morals while taking photos. In the past, the Ministry of Haj and Umrah cautioned visitors not to record others in their frame without their permission. However, sometimes photography or selfie adventurism can lead to trouble in the sense of privacy rights. It is noteworthy to mention that most of the visitors are unaware of Saudi Arabia’s cybercrime law that upholds privacy rights.

For example, Article 3 of the law sets a penalty of one-year imprisonment or a fine that does not exceed Saudi Riyal 5,00,000 for anyone who uses a cell phone to take a picture that violates the privacy rights of others and then posts the picture in public domain. In the past, some Indian pilgrims were arrested for taking photos inside the Haram with the Indian tricolour flag and also with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra poster.