Swine flu casts shadow over Haj in Lebanon

Dubai, As the number of swine flu cases in Lebanon steadily rose, a Shiite ayatollah in the country has issued a fatwa advising Muslims to skip Haj this year provided they have serious concerns over the spread of the disease.

However, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussain Fadlallah said the entire pilgrimage should not be cancelled under any circumstances as it was a holy duty of all devout Muslims.

He said those who have serious concerns about contracting the H1N1 virus while performing the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia may stay away this year.

The Fatwa came as the Lebanese Health Ministry announced that the number of H1N1 infections had risen to 82.

Haj attracts about three million people yearly, more than one lakh of them from India.

Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh was quoted by the Daily Star daily as saying that the number of swine flu infections was likely to rise fast.

”In my opinion, the number is likely to multiply because the virus spreads quickly,” Mr Khalifeh told the National News Agency.

He is also due to attend an emergency conference of Arab Health Ministers next Wednesday in Cairo which will discuss contingency plans ahead of the Muslim pilgrimage.

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