CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptians staged a sit-in Sunday at Cairo airport after they were barred from traveling to Mecca to perform a pilgrimage due to new restrictions to prevent the spread of swine flu, an airport security official said. Airport authorities called in extra security to disperse the 300 protesters, who sat on the terminal floor and refused to leave, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. Last week, an emergency meeting Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif held with the Ministers of Health and Interior set an age limit for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims traveling this year at 25-65 years old and halted all bookings for Umrah starting Aug. 13. The restrictions took effect Sunday, prompting security to remove a number of passengers from flights after they had boarded. The travelers barred Sunday had intended to perform the Umrah, a voluntary pilgrimage to Mecca that can be completed at any time of the year. It is separate from the larger annual pilgrimage to the holy city that is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their lives. Minister of Civil Aviation Ahmed Shafik said that travelers whose Umrah trips were canceled as a result of the new travel restrictions will be fully refunded, Hassan Abou Ghanima, the ministry's secretary general, said in a press statement Saturday. The Chamber of Egyptian Travel Agencies asked Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garranah to coordinate with Shafik to refund the tickets without fines, as well as discuss with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit means to negotiate with the authorities in Saudi Arabia to get hotels to refund travelers. The restrictions could affect a large number of people over the age of 65, because many Muslims save up their whole lives to make the trip. Arab health ministers decided last month to exclude those most vulnerable to swine flu to reduce the possibility the disease will spread among the massive crowds during the pilgrimage, or Hajj. More than half a million Egyptians perform the Hajj every year. -AP with additional reporting by Daily News Egypt writer Safaa Abdoun.
