Blog Post #3: News Report

 

This week, I read a news report titled “Man Arrested in Mecca for Going on Pilgrimage ‘For the Queen’s Soul’”. The Yemeni man filmed a video on himself inside the Grand Mosque of Mecca holding a banner (in Arabic and English text) that read “Umrah for the soul of Queen Elizabeth II, may Allah grant her a place in heaven and accept her among the righteous people”.



Consequently, the man was detained for breaking pilgrimage guidelines and referred to public prosecution. Incidents like this are rare but do occasionally occur due to the sheer quantity of people who visit Mecca every year. Security has become tighter following an incident in July where an Israeli journalist snuck into Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which could explain the intense response the Interior Ministry had to this video and banner.  


This response is an example of post-censorship which I have previously mentioned Blog Post #2. Not only do Yemeni people have to comply with Yemeni rules about ‘safe content’ but they will also have to comply with the rules in the countries they visit. This event is an important reminder of this responsibility and could potentially influence the way Yemeni and Saudi people interact with media. This incident may also shape Saudi perceptions of Yemeni people too.  

 

Link to Article  


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