September 16, 2006	Saturday	Sha'aban 22, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 15: Hundreds of disappointed and angry Chinese Muslims protested outside the Saudi embassy here on Friday after they were refused Haj visas.

More than 500 men and women, mostly hailing from China’s Xinjiang province, bordering Pakistan, sat on the road in front of the embassy of Saudi Arabia and raised slogans.

Many of the protesters, overcome with emotions, broke down while narrating their predicament to journalists.

“We travelled thousands of miles to come to Islamabad to get Haj visas. We have been coming since mid 1980s. But this year the embassy of Saudi Arabia has refused us Haj visas,” said an intending pilgrim.

“They do not tell us the reasons. They do not even talk to us,” he said.

Islamabad is a closer destination for the Chinese Muslims of Xinjiang than Beijing to seek Haj visa and they had been coming to Islamabad for the purpose ever since the Karakoram Highway linking Xinjiang and Northern Areas opened in 1986.

An increasing number of Chinese Muslims have been going on Haj pilgrimage since China eased restrictions on religious activities by its citizens.

Between 4,000 and 6,000 Chinese Muslims are said to have come to Islamabad this year to get visas to perform Haj.

“Some of us have been here for the last two to three months and more are still coming,” one protester said.

They are staying in Rawalpindi which boasts a thriving China Market.

“Many of us have run out of money and are putting in small hotels in Rawalpindi,” said another intending pilgrim. Hundreds of them have been taken ill “because the food is so bad and adulterated”.

“Our condition is not good at all and our problem needs to be addressed immediately. If there is a policy change (by Saudi Arabia about Haj visas) we were not told about it. If we had been informed, we would never have come here,” said one Chinese protester.

“Until our problem is solved we will keep coming back (to the Saudi embassy),” he said.

No embassy official could be approached for comments as security personnel refused to call anyone.

But according to the security guards at the embassy gate, the Chinese pilgrims had been informed a week back that there had been a policy change and they could get visas from the Saudi embassy in Beijing alone.

“There is no way these Chinese pilgrims get Haj visas here,” one guard said.