Tunisia cancels pilgrimages over H1N1 concerns
2009-07-05
Tunisia on Saturday (July 3rd) suspended omra pilgrimages to Mecca over H1N1 swine flu fears, AFP reported. Religious Affairs Minister Boubaker El Akhzouri said it was "a necessary decision" which does not contradict Muslim doctrine. Some 30,000 Tunisians complete the omra pilgrimages each year, many of them during the holy month of Ramadan. Health officials also toughened selection criteria for hajj candidates.
Also Saturday, Morocco confirmed its 20th H1N1 case, while Algerian officials announced two new cases, bringing the country's total to seven.
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